Oprah Winfrey announced that she has no plans as of now to move her nationally syndicated show to her cable station, the Oprah Winfrey Network. But, she could change her mind by the end of the year.

From MSNBC.com

“We are not commenting on rumors or speculation,” said Beth Gebhard, a spokesperson for OWN, in response to questions about a possible Los Angeles move. Gebhard also said, “(OWN) will announce our launch date by the end of the year.”

Winfrey’s current deal ends in 2011, but the host has previously announced her retirement only to later renew her contract several times.

The fuel for this latest round of rumors has less to do with Winfrey’s contract and more to do with one of her longtime producers. Discovery announced Wednesday that Lisa Erspamer, co-executive producer of Winfrey’s talk show, will join OWN in January as chief creative executive. To those in the industry, that announcement suggested that perhaps Winfrey was planning to uproot the show as we know it and move it to L.A., and ultimately, to OWN.

Louisville Coach Says He’s Been Extorted
Somebody’s reportedly trying to extort money from Louisville Coach Rick Pitino, but nobody knows who is running the con game or why. “I recently learned that the individual behind this extortion attempt has already gone to the media with false, defamatory and outrageous allegations in an attempt to pressure me to cave in to this scheme,” Pitino said in a statement. Federal investigators are looking into charges that the estranged wife of Louisville’s equipment manager, is the extortionist.  Attorney Thomas Clay, who represents Karen Sypher, the wife of equipment manager Tim Sypher, has acknowledged that his client has been questioned by the FBI, but he declined further comment. “I can’t be more specific than they talked to her,” Clay said. “Yes, there could be a criminal prosecution.” Tim Sypher released a statement, saying, “I am devastated by the bizarre allegations that my estranged wife is making against Coach Pitino and myself,” Tim Sypher said in a statement. “I intend to defend the allegations vigorously.” Tim Sypher has worked with Pitino for the past 12 years and was his personal assistant with the Boston Celtics from 1997-2001. When Pitino went to Louisville, Sypher followed in 2001 to become the team’s equipment manager.

Obama camp dismisses Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson inauguration rumors. Beyoncé fans need not take out the claws just yet. The rumor circulating that she’s been beat out by Jennifer Hudson again isn’t true, says the Barack Obama camp. Apparently, speculation about Obama’s hometown connection to Hudson in Chicago mushroomed into word that the singer was asked to perform at Obama’s Jan. 20 presidential inauguration. Be, who was upstaged by Hudson’s Oscar win after they both appeared in the film Dreamgirls, expressed interest in singing at the White House. “An inauguration committee hasn’t even been formed yet,” says an Obama spokesman. No decision has been made about who’ll sing at the event, the rep says. Meanwhile, Hudson is still mourning the recent unsolved murders of three family members.