Harpo Productions to stay in Chicago

CHICAGO, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The new co-president of Harpo Productions said the production company will stay in Chicago even after "The Oprah Winfrey Show" ends in 2011.

Winfrey's syndicated daytime talk show is set to wrap in two years after a quarter-century on the air.

"We're not going anywhere," Sheri Salata, who along with Erik Logan has been promoted to the presidency of Harpo Productions, told the Chicago Tribune.

"For more than two decades, you have this relationship with Chicago -- Chicago being our hometown city -- so that is our charge here, to keep this Chicago studio strong," Salata said. "Without the 'Oprah' show, there definitely are some challenges to that. But at the same time, without the 'Oprah' show, the whole world has opened up in terms of the ability to take the time to do other things as well."

Salata and Logan will replace outgoing Harpo president Tim Bennett, who plans to retire at the end of May, the newspaper said.

The company also announced OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a Los Angeles-based cable television channel from Harpo Inc. and Discovery Communications, will be up and running in January 2011.

"Under Sheri and Erik's leadership, I am confident in Harpo's future and know that we will continue to create quality programming with compelling content for all platforms," Winfrey said in a statement. "Not even the sky is the limit for this company."