After 23 years on television, Harpo spokesman Don Halcombe announced today that The Oprah Winfrey Show will air its final episode on Sept. 9, 2011. 

Oprah, a television icon of unparalleled status, plans to make the announcement on tomorrow’s show to her 42 million weekly viewers in the United States, and millions more in the 145 other countries in which her show airs.

Harpo Inc. President Tim Bennett released an official announcement to affiliate stations across the country to share the news. He ended the letter with a vague, but confident assurance.

“And, if you think the last quarter century has been something, then ‘don’t touch that dial,’ as together we plan to make history in the next 20 months and beyond.”

No one beyond the walls of Harpo corporate yet knows how they plan to “make history” and, being that the show only has 20 months lefts on air, what “and beyond” means. Doing some quick math, that gives her just over a year to campaign for 2012. Hmmmm. Let the speculation begin!