Executives at Warner Brothers believe that Ellen DeGeneres is the heir apparent to Oprah Winfrey in daytime TV. In its last season, a research report revealed that The Ellen DeGeneres Show was, for the first time, on par with The Oprah Winfrey Show in viewers’ minds. Implementing the findings, Warner Brothers announced that NBC’s 10 owned-and operated stations would keep broadcasting DeGeneres’s show through 2014.
The written report revealed that DeGeneres’s hour-long show is upbeat and inspirational—traits that appeal to daytime’s female audience; she is seen as relaxed and relatable; and she is more likable than Winfrey, according to the Q Scores Company. Even though the DeGeneres show lagged behind the Winfrey show in the treasured Nielsen ratings, on emotional issues DeGeneres was in a virtual tie with Winfrey.
a. What other questions should the report address?
b. How would you advise the networks to “franchise” DeGeneres based on your study’s results?