Ellen new daytime queen

MOVE OVER, OPRAH: Good read in the N.Y. Times about the ever-increasing starpower of Ellen DeGeneres, who’s been anointed as the heir apparent to Oprah Winfrey on daytime TV—meaning a well-timed appearance on her show can move the needle. DeGeneres is now seen as more likable than Winfrey, according to Q Scores, so it was a no-brainer for Warner Bros., which produces Ellen, and NBC Universal to reach a deal that will keep the show on the network’s 10 owned-and-operated stations through 2014. The contract extension amounted to the first big bet on the post-Oprah landscape. Her career moves—most notably her decision to become a judge on American Idol—appear to have been engineered to enhance her daytime host identity, writes Brian Stelter. We’re well aware of the Oprah Effect; get ready for the Ellen Effect. (2/12a)