I was pleased with the production quality of the podcast Making Oprah: Episode 1. This episode was written very well. I loved the sound that was used throughout this episode. It started at the site of the destruction of Harpo Studios. The writer does an excellent job of painting a picture for the audience and making us feel as if we were there on the street in Chicago witnessing the demolition of this iconic building. Interviewing people on the street was also a nice touch that helped bring the story together.
The listener was then taken back to the early days of the program along with highlights from the 1980’s which include the show’s debut, their struggles to book guests and the show’s highest rated episode where Oprah rolls out 67 pounds of fat. This represents the amount of weight she lost since starting her diet.
I loved hearing the Oprah show theme song being used in this episode. The song, “ I’m Every Woman” was played a couple of times throughout this episode. This song seems to be the theme for Oprah’s life because she can do so many things well. I grew up watching Oprah and it has been a while since I heard this theme song. It took me back to our family sitting around the television watching her show. The voicing was great. I have always felt as if people on the radio have the best voices. What works for this piece is the audience gets to hear from Oprah. I would have enjoyed hearing from her more. I think that is what is missing from this piece. I could have done without hearing so much sound from the show’s other female producers who spoke about what it took to make Oprah successful. Although, I did enjoy hearing from general manager Dennis Swanson who spoke about the bold risk he took in the late 1980’s by hiring a black overweight woman to host a show by herself. The memorable moment for me was when the host Jenn White was informed that she had an interview with Oprah. As a listener I was so excited for her. As a journalist there is a certain level of joy that you get when you secure an interview with someone that will help you tell a story. Jenn takes us through her journey to interview Oprah which includes getting a pedicure and a new dress. These are all the things I would do if I were given the opportunity to interview Oprah. I enjoyed listening to this podcast.