MUMBAI: The queen of the talk show genre Oprah Winfrey is all set to boost her presence in the radio arena.

Harpo Radio and US satellite radio company XM Satellite Radio have signed a three-year agreement to launch a channel Oprah and Friends.

The channel will debut in September 2006 and will feature a broad range of original programming from Harpo Radio including regular segments hosted by popular personalities from The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine and an exclusive original weekly reality radio show with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. The channel will be broadcast from a new state-of-the-art XM studio at Harpo Studios in Chicago.

The channel will feature original daily programming on a variety of topics including nutrition, fitness, health, self improvement, home, and current events from popular "Oprah" personalities, including Bob Greene, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Robin Smith, Marianne Williamson, Nate Berkus, and
Gayle King.

Winfrey says, "Together with my friends, we look forward to creating programming that will entertain, inform and inspire our listening audience on XM".

XM Satellite Radio president and CEO Hugh Panero says, "Oprah Winfrey is a prolific force in our culture whose unprecedented achievements in television, film, publishing and philanthropy will bring an amazing radio experience to the XM nation of subscribers. Oprah and Friends is a testament to XM's unwavering commitment to provide our diverse subscriber base with the kind of smart, high-quality programming that makes a difference in their lives."