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Oprah Winfrey might still be the queen of daytime television, but her empire appears to be receding.
Her audience, like that of many other talk shows, shrank 7 percent in a year, meaning her average daily viewership has dipped below 7 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Industry experts attribute the slippage to factors such as the proliferation of entertainment choices, a new generation of TV watchers and the likelihood that Oprah alienated many of her conservative followers by campaigning for Barack Obama, according to the Associated Press.
Also suffering a 7 point drop was "Live with Regis and Kelly." Posting double-digit declines were shows with Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and Martha Stewart.
Winfrey's show still leads the talk-show pack, though, with about 2 million more viewers than Dr. Phil, according to AP.
The show is taking aggressive steps to counteract the decline by front-loading the 24th season with performances from the Black Eyed Peas and James Taylor at a Chicago block party, an exclusive interview with Whitney Houston and her first visit with Dr. Phil in seven years.
