The chief of the struggling cable network didn’t have much to say to advertisers gathered in New York to hear about the prospects for OWN — and other channels affiliated with Discovery Communications. “I’m having the climb of my life,” Winfrey said while thanking them for their support. She acknowledged that OWN is “nowhere near the summit” but added that ”at least I can see the summit.” Other execs described the channel’s programming plans, and progress in expanding its audience. Before her appearance, OWN showed the spoof from Jimmy Kimmel’s post-Oscars special, in which he pitches Winfrey series ideas, including Book Club Fight Club. (Winfrey slugged a club member who questioned whether she had really read To Kill A Mockingbird.) A video opening OWN’s presentation upfront said: ”This is a story about momentum. Emotion. OWN is on the move.”

Oprah please return to base camp, pack up your gear and shut it all down. Let someone else climb Everest. Enjoy retirement in Monticeto.
Here’s another delusional ego-maniac like Olbermann who thinks her network is going to be the greatest thing to happen since sliced bread, only for her to fall flat on her face, resort to begging people on twitter to watch her nonsensical programming and then siphoning money left and right (which isn’t even her own money) to bring whatever credibility she can to get people to watch this nonsense of a network. If the Discovery troops has a brain in their heads, they cut ties with this loon and change formats and make it a network worth watching once again. This network is done!
Oprah,
We all realize that this enormous failure has a long way to go on its downhill run. What summit are you discussing?
Is the summit the final height of this pile of shit? It already reaches to the heaven.
Two people look at the same abject failure, one sees the summit, the other sees the end. The former is delusional and narcissistic, the latter is rational.
The main problem with this “self-empowerment”, ah-ha network is Winfrey is probably the last person on earth any sane, rational person should consider advice from regarding self-empowerment, nutrition, weight control, family strife, marriage, motherhood, personal finances, diet, exercise and overall health. I wouldn’t even want her to recommend what movie I should stream off netflix (because we all know who her favorite director is.)
Oprah should get own off premium cable and get it on regular cable as it was with the discovery channel.i think she would have a very larger audience,myself included. None of my friends have premium cable either.
Sisyphus, er Oprah, give it up. That boulder you’re pushing is only going to get bigger and heavier. It’s over, Johnny!
The level of schadenfreude in the Deadline comments section of articles about Oprah and OWN is mean, pathetic and just plain asinine.
OWN is going to be just fine. The ship has been righted – and the combo of the Discovery team with Oprah’s team is a mighty force to be reckoned with. Oprah’s producers are the best, smartest, and hardest working in TV.
OWN doesn’t have to get Oprah Show-like ratings. OWN doesn’t have to be the number one cable network. It just has to be profitable. And it will – sooner than you think.
Don’t bet against Oprah.
Not sure it’s schadenfreude (the hot new “it” word in hollywood). Everyone can see what’s wrong with OWN except Oprah herself, who seems to think it has more to do with the “proper” translation of her “philosophies and ideas”. What’s the word for that?
She gets it. Nothing wrong with trying to create shows that uplift people…which is not always easy to do and get big ratings. A few shows on OWN are starting to gain momentum. One night at a time. By this time next year, all the stories will be about the huge turnaround at OWN. Bet on it.
Don’t bet against Oprah? How much did it cost her to hire a polarizing truther named Rosie O’Donnell? And I don’t think Jonathon Demme’s career has been the same since he helmed BELOVED. People watched her on network TV, but no one is going looking for her work on cable. She was background filler, nothing more, nothing less, and the media cycle moves on.
I agree with Angela about changing own to be airing on regular cable; that’s her customer base….not premium cable.