Oprah’s Network Sucks? The Ratings Are In & They Aren’t Too Good
Two months ago, Oprah Winfrey made television history debuting her very own network, OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. Bolstered by her popular television show, Oprah’s departure from network TV to her own cable channel seemed like a feat only she could pull off.
Except two months in, Oprah’s millions of fans—who usually snap up anything she blesses with her seal of approval—don’t seem to be turning in. OWN’s less-than-stellar ratings have some wondering if Oprah lost her golden touch.
The New York Times writes,
“OWN, her two-month-old channel, is attracting fewer viewers than the obscure channel it replaced, Discovery Health. At any given time this month, there have been about 135,000 people watching OWN, according to the Nielsen Company, and only about 45,000 of those people are women ages 25 to 54, the demographic that the channel is focusing on.
Those ratings levels, down about 10 percent from Discovery Health’s levels last year, are being carefully watched by people who would like to rebuild cable channels around other celebrities, and by investors who worry that OWN is a drag on Discovery’s stock.”
So what’s the problem? How can Oprah, the reining Queen of television, be failing?
Well, her people say it’s due to a lack of original programming. In an interview with The Times, Christina Norman, OWN’s chief executive said Oprah’s fans were used to original shows, not recycled reruns. She muses, “We opened the store, and they cleaned us out, so now we have to restock the shelves much faster than we thought we did.”
To OWN’s credit, the network is pulling in approximately 42 million viewers per month, and are only a few short of Norman’s 50-60 million views per month goal.
Despite its lukewarm reception, however, Christina Norman thinks things will get better once new shows are added and Oprah makes more appearances on the network.
Until then, viewers will just have to be patient.
Do you watch OWN? What are your thoughts on the network so far?
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I cannot afford the cost of extended cable, which I would need to watch the OWN productions.
More and more people are cutting corners in this economy. Cable channels/packages are on that list. In the fall/winter I have the basic cable. Come spring/summer I cancel that, and use the converter box. No time to watch tv, too busy outdoors and keeping busy.
In the fall/winter, I still don’t watch much tv.
Lots are not bothering going to movies anymore, the price is outrageous for tickets. People again, cutting out “extras”.
Now, with the cost of gas going up daily, and soon to reach over $5 gallon, more and more will be cut from budgets.
I’d watch it just for support’s sake, but it’s not in my cable package.
Waiiittt…. Stop the goddamn presses….
This>>>> Also, I don’t like Gail King as an entertainer. In my opinion, she has no talent. She had her own show and look what happened.
Gayle had a show????? When?What?Why?How?????
My budget has required me to cut cable altogether thus I rely on the Internet for a lot of the cable shows. I hoped that OWN would embrace the Full Episode model that would enable more people to support the network.
I hid OWN Network so I don’t have to watch it accidentally . oprah is very conceited and very narcissistic . I hold this network fails and never comes back . her network is always about her and her and her ….
I no longer watch Opra since she has gotten political.She supports the worst president since Jimmy Carter. If you take a stand you pay the price.
Oprah has done what no other women of color has ever done before yet many people appear to have been waiting for her to fall on her face with OWN.
Which one of you have done anything for anyone to talk about for 5 minutes much less all the years Oprah has been on top of her game? Which none of you know anything about or have you even been on TV for an hour.
Sick People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tolu2Books
I have never liked her show; So no I would never tune in to the network. From the line up I saw it looks really boring..
I also will not support Oprah since she became political. She ONLY supports Obama
because of his skin color. This country has such a double-standard when it comes
to being prejudiced. It is ok for some, but not others. I also agree that she is very conceited. I just don’t know why people like her so much. Maybe she needs to fall in order for her to be brought back to Earth and reality again. Her head has gotten a bit too swollen.
OWN is a boring channel. I would like to have Discovery Health back, there were some very interesting shows that I miss now. Oprah was fine for a one hour show, but her self centered personality has gone too far and this move will bring her down. Didn’t help that she has supported the worst president ever! Just because he is black… well, 1/2 black. Yup, prejudice is only bad when its whites being prejudice. You really need to step back and take another look at your motives Oprah.
Oprah was a success on her “Oprah Winfrey Show” because it was prime time and catered to her white audience…she followed THEIR way of thinking; with the acception of “special programming” for blacks, the substance of her show was “white” along with the expensive gifts, trips, and celebrities; books, new shows, etc. was projected toward continually promoting “white thought”; supporting Obama did not change the basic concept of her show, which is what made her successful and rich.
I felt that when she started her OWN network, it would not succeed simply because White audience are fickle and if they are not benefiting in some very public way; i.e. gifts, all the glitz Oprah showered on “them” (white) they would not support her….It was never about OPRAH, it was because she continually supported their “superior mindset” and Oprah catered to that very successfully….now it’s over and Oprah can never captivate that level again…..she could have used much of that success to elevate more people of COLOR, which would have (possibly) helped her as a Black woman. It seem somehow odd that a woman of color would not WANT to give a wider exposture to people who LOOKED LIKE HER!….
JUST LIKE HER MAGAZINE ALL OPRAH ALL OF THE TIME….ITS TO MUCH BUT WHEN U HAVE AS MUCH AS SHE HAS YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT AND HOW…GAIL JUMP SHIP AND HER SHOW WAS VERY BORNING
Bo I don’t watch OWN and I didn’t watch Oprah on TV. Ever since she introduced BO when he was running for president I lost interest in her and her show.
Oprah made history when she decided to have a 95% white audience! I knew it was coming to her the way she belittled her culture for other cultures. Talk show host should not make a differences in race nor their gender and that’s what Oprah has been doing all these years. I don’t care how much money she has, the truth about her has come out. She refuse to associate herself with middle class people and now her big ass is about out the door with her millions. She have the nerve to teach! Teach what? I don’t understand why Tyler Perry hanging around her. Tyler and Oprah are too different people. Tyler is supporting his people by emplying them and Oprah are for the rich white woman. Tyler, get the hell away from Oprah!
Oprah, get you another hair stylist! It’s a dam shame you got millions of dollars and your hair looks like a blind women weaved your hair. Around your forehead, it is very obvious Reggie combs your hair over the weave or the lace front wig. I should not be able to observe from my television where your weave started and ended. Really, it’s time for you to go!
Oprah is a gorilla faced racist I would rather sit in the dark than watch that fat nasty lesbian p.s. you want to boost rating air the little rascal reruns
That is a very mean and unwarranted thing to say about Oprah. It is also extremely untrue! Oprah is BEAUTIFUL! Perhaps you’re just gealous of Oprah’s beauty. People who feel inferior about themselves will always cut down other peoples appearances.
The OWN Network is the best cablw network to date along with Bravo and TLC. I love the cool reality shows on Bravo and TLC. My favorite show on OWN is the new Rosie Show. I’m a HUGE Rosie fan. I absolutely love Rosie’s tenacity and tremendous intelligence. She’s my kind of gal who tells it like it is and isn’t afraid to do so. Rosie’s new show is doing great I heard. It’s too bad that production of the new Rosie show no longer has a studio audience:( I attended a few tapings of Rosie’s former talk show and it was so much fun. I got to say hello to Rosie at the tapings and she actually remembered me from the audience from prior shows that I attended! That was so cool:) I wish Oprah and Rosie well. They are the greatest women in TV. They have done more for humanity than anybody because of their generousit, intelligencey and love. Why, oh, why couldn’t Rosie or Oprah run for president? They would be the best presidents ever aside from Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.