Oprah Winfrey closes her charity as talk show ends

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Oprah Winfrey’s charity, the Angel Network, is closing down as the popular US television talk show host prepares to end The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011 after 25 years to set up her own cable TV network.
The Angel Network said on its website (www.oprahsangelnetwork.org [2]) that the charity, which stemmed from Winfrey’s popular daytime chat show, would not be accepting donations from May 24 and was ending its grant making programme.
Nearly 1,50,000 donors have given more than $80 million since the network began in 1998, helping to fund more than 200 grants and project in the United States and over 30 other countries.
The Angel Network said it has helped build more than 55 schools in 12 countries, provided school uniforms and supplies to 18,000 South African children, and helped more than 1,000 families get back into their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“We plan to dissolve as a 501c3 public charity, after final disbursement of funds has been completed,” said the statement.
“Oprah remains deeply committed to philanthropy, and her new cable network — OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network — will continue to highlight charitable organisations in conjunction with its programming in the years ahead.” From next year, Winfrey will host a new show from around the world called Oprah’s Next Chapter that will be broadcast on the Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN, the Los Angeles-based cable TV venture she formed with Discovery Communications Inc.