Oprah is interested in taking over production of CBS Mornings, daytime programing

Oprah Winfrey‘s production company, Harpo Productions, Inc., is interested in taking over the production of six hours of morning programing on CBS from 7:00 am to 1:00pm, Monday through Sunday — including the network’s flagship CBS Mornings program hosted by Gayle King.

Winfrey believes that, if she were able to ‘completely control’ that substantial block of daytime television programing on the network, that she can increase viewership to solidify the network as the nation’s first-placed in audience size during each of those six lucrative hours — an achievement that would be worth billions in advertising revenues for the network.

Winfrey’s plan would supplement the CBS Morning Show, broadcasting from New York from 7:00 am to 9:00 am EST, with a third hour of programing led by King and Rachel Ray in the New York studio prior to a new three-hour show led by Winfrey broadcasting 10:00 am to 1:00 pm EST.

Winfrey’s new show would be based at a new studio in West Hollywood, and describes the show as a cross between 60 Minutes and The View, coupling original human interest news journalism with talk, entertainment interviews, and current events with a slate of co-hosts.

Harpo would produce a new line up of programs on Saturday and Sunday mornings to compliment the network’s current brands CBS Sunday and CBS Saturday.