O: The Oprah Magazine, sometimes simply abbreviated to O, is a monthly magazine founded by Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Corporation. It was first published on April 19, 2000. As of June 2004^[update], its average paid circulation was over 2.7 million copies, two thirds by subscription. A South African edition was first published in April 2002; according to the South African Advertising Research Foundation, its average readership was over 300,000.^[1]

In April 2001, Oprah Winfrey and the Hearst Corporation were sued for trademark infringement by Ronald Brockmeyer, the publisher of O Magazine, a German erotic periodical which predated Winfrey's magazine by several years. In a March 2003 decision, Judge John Koeltl dismissed the suit, citing the different content of the two magazines and the irregular publication schedule and minimal American sales of the German magazine.

Since its inception, Oprah had exclusively appeared on the cover of each issue. The first shared cover is her April 2009 issue in which she appears with the First Lady Michelle Obama.^[2] The second shared cover is with fellow daytime host Ellen DeGeneres on the December 2009 issue. Four separate covers were shot for this special holiday issue.^[3] The December issue of O hit newsstands on November 12, 2009.^[4]

In a January 2010 Nerve article entitled Ten Good Reasons to Hate Oprah, Jennifer Simon wrote:

Oprah launched her eponymous magazine in 2000, and like her talk show, it’s enjoyed much success. Launching a magazine in your own image, devoted solely to the issues you deem important, takes a lot of chutzpah… or egomania. Originally the exclusive cover girl of every issue, Oprah finally shared the spotlight this year, once with Michelle Obama and again with Ellen DeGeneres. And her publicity team spun this as an act of newsworthy generosity. Really? There’s nothing wrong with a celebrity extending their brand, but having your own monthly is somehow even more egotistical than having your own talk show.^[5]

References

External links

• Official magazine websites: Oprah Winfrey and Hearst
• Customer service website
• O, The Oprah Magazine media kit website
• Magazine summary, including ABC Circulation information and mission statement
• O, The Oprah Magazine Subscription Price Comparison

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