Talk show mogul, Oprah Winfrey, recalls her role in pushing for equal pay to her female producers during the beginning years of “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
The 63-year-old philanthropist opened up to Time Magazine on a special video project called “TIME Firsts”, which showcases trailblazing women and their success.
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“The talkshow really freed me,” Winfrey admits in the video after talking about her career as a news anchor. “I built the show around myself and the producers. We were young women in our 30s trying to figure it out and find our way.”
And although the talkshow became a huge success, Winfrey knew it wasn’t being felt by her female staff.
“I was making a lot of money and my producers were still getting the same salary,” Winfrey says, adding, “I went to my boss at the time and I said everybody needs a raise and he said ‘They’re only girls. They’re a bunch of girls. What do they need more money for?’ I go, ‘Well, either they’re gonna get raises, or I’m gonna sit down. I will not work unless they get paid.’ And so they did.”
The iconic show lasted 25 seasons running from Sept. 8, 1986 to May 25, 2011.
