As I sat soaking up the wisdom, grace and compassion that radiated from Oprah Winfrey as she completed her final Oprah Winfrey broadcast, I was left feeling inspired to do more, be more, contribute more.  My spirit is still soaring and apparently so were the ratings of this history making broadcast.

The final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show delivered the program’s highest overnight rating in 17 years.

Oprah had a 13.3 household rating, the biggest since a 1994 episode that was titled, “People Shed Their Disguises,” and was about people who wore wigs or beards or too much make-up, who were convinced to present themselves with a more natural look.

The show has been ramping up all week, delivering a 10.2 rating on Monday and a 10.7 on Tuesday. How many viewers the finale’s rating will translate into won’t be known for a couple weeks, but it should deliver well over 15 million. Plus, the number doesn’t include the St. Louis market, which pre-empted the show for storm coverage and will air the show today.

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