OPRAH'S DWINDLING APPEAL EXAMINED: New York Times outlines reasons for TV mogul's drop in popularity.

An article in Monday's New York Times points out various signs that Oprah Winfrey's pop culture dominance is beginning to weaken.

Writer Edward Wyatt notes: The average audience for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has fallen nearly 7 percent this year, according to Nielsen Media Research — its third straight year of decline.

“Oprah’s Big Give,” an ABC philanthropic reality show, beat every program on television except “American Idol” in its premiere week this winter, but steadily lost nearly one-third of its audience during the rest of its eight-week run, according to Nielsen.

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