Oprah started her 19th season with a bang - giving away 276 Pontiac G-6 sport sedans to her audience valued at 7 million dollars. Marketing executives are saying this could set a new bar for product placement.

The big question "Was it worth it?". The answer has to be yes - the buzz before and after the event has to be worth every penny that Pontiac spent. Of course the big news is the giveaway itself, and that hasn't hurt Oprah's reputation one bit, but being associated with such a television event that is on everyone's lips has to sell cars.

But looking to the future, what will Oprah do for her 20th season, which has to be a milestone for her talk show. Can she top this premiere next year. What will be the next big giveaway? Homes for everyone in her studio audience?

Start planning now to make sure you are in that audience.