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Keshet International‘s UK office has hired producer Amelia Hann as head of unscripted programming to oversee a new factual production venture. Hann was most recently executive producer on Channel 4’s The Undateables and her other credits include the BAFTA winning Ross Kemp On Gangs, Wife Swap USA, Baby Bible Bashers, Scrapheap Challenge/Junkyard Wars and The Hunt For Britain’s Sex Traffickers. READ MORE »

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OWN Picks Up Tyler Perry’s Sitcom ‘For Better Or Worse’, Orders Third Season

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday February 20, 2013 @ 1:06pm PST
Nellie Andreeva

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is quickly becoming the Oprah Winfrey & Tyler Perry Network. OWN has picked up Perry’s sitcom For Better Or Worse, ordering a third season of originals and acquiring the show’s existing … Read More »

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OWN Is “Moving In The Right Direction”, Discovery Chief Says

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Thursday February 14, 2013 @ 6:45am PST

Ratings at the channel, a joint venture with Oprah Winfrey, are “ahead of where we thought we’d be,” Discovery CEO David Zaslav told analysts this morning. The audience was up in all 12 months of 2012, and was … Read More »

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Oprah’s OWN Sued For Sex Discrimination By Former Executive

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday February 1, 2013 @ 6:44pm PST

OWN’s former senior director of Scheduling and Acquisitions today sued the Oprah Winfrey founded network for sex and disability discrimination. In her complaint (read it here) for unspecified but wide ranging damages, Carolyn Hommel is also … Read More »

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John Schneider Among Actors Cast In Tyler Perry’s Two OWN Series

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday January 29, 2013 @ 6:15pm PST
Nellie Andreeva

John SchneiderEXCLUSIVE: The Dukes Of Hazzard and Smallville alum John Schneider is set to star in Tyler Perry’s drama series for OWN, The Haves And The Have Nots, while six actors, including Jonathan Chase and Palmer Williams, have been cast in Perry’s comedy series for the cable network, Love Thy Neighbor. Both shows, written, directed and Produced by Perry through his Tyler Perry Studios, are set to premiere at the end of May.

The Haves And The Have Nots follows the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the impoverished family of Hanna, their housekeeper, and the obstacles and secrets that exist within both families. Innovative-repped Schneider will play Jim Cryer, the Cryer family patriarch. Read More »

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Lance Armstrong Confesses To Oprah: Video

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday January 17, 2013 @ 9:37pm PST

In the first clip from Oprah’s Next Chapter interview with the athlete, he answers simply “yes” to her questions about his use of different performance-enhancing substances and touches on his history, specifically when he began using banned substances:


In the clip that follows, Winfrey points out that for 13 years Armstrong “brazenly and defiantly denied everything you just admitted to … why now admit it”? Armstrong says “I don’t know that I have a great answer … I will start my answer by saying this is too late.” Read More »

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Ad Time For Oprah’s Lance Armstrong Interview Expected To Sell Out: Report

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday January 16, 2013 @ 5:43pm PST

Oprah Winfrey’s two-part interview with Lance Armstrong is close to selling out commercial time at premium prices, Reuters reports. OWN President Erik Logan said current and new sponsors have been calling to secure ad Read More »

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OWN Expands Lance Armstrong Interview To Two Nights

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday January 15, 2013 @ 6:36am PST

Related: AP: Lance Armstrong Admits To Doping In Interview With Oprah Winfrey

Los Angeles – Oprah Winfrey’s exclusive no-holds-barred interview with Lance Armstrong, “Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive,” has expanded to air as a two-night event on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The special episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter” will air Thursday, January 17 from 9-10:30 p.m. ET/PT (as previously announced) and Friday, January 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The interview will be simultaneously streamed LIVE worldwide both nights on Oprah.com.

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AP: Lance Armstrong Admits To Doping In Interview With Oprah Winfrey

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday January 14, 2013 @ 4:55pm PST

Lance Armstrong confessed to Oprah Winfrey today in an interview that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, The Associated Press reports, citing a person familiar with the situation. The interview is scheduled … Read More »

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Coming Clean? Lance Armstrong Going On Oprah Next Week

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Tuesday January 8, 2013 @ 4:40pm PST

Is Lance Armstrong pedaling a confession? The disgraced former seven-time Tour de France cycling champion will appear on OWN’s Oprah’s Next Chapter on January 17, the network announced today. This interview with Oprah Winfrey will be Armstrong’s first since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency charged him with using illegal performance-enhancing drugs during a career that has made him one of America’s and the world’s most well-known athletes. The big question is whether Oprah will rip the skin off Armstrong the way she did author James Frey after he promoted his recovery memoir A Million Little Pieces, and then came back to be flayed when it was revealed he’d embellished big parts of the book. Read More »

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OWN Orders Drama & Comedy Series From Tyler Perry

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday December 13, 2012 @ 10:50am PST
Nellie Andreeva

That didn’t take long — two months after Oprah Winfrey‘s OWN announced a multi-year exclusive deal with Tyler Perry for scripted shows, the network has greenlighted two series written, directed and produced by Perry from his production company Tyler Perry Studios. Perry’s agreement with OWN called for him to write, direct and exec produce two series for a mid-2013 launch. Now the shows have been identified, drama The Haves And The Have Nots and comedy Love Thy Neighbor, the network confirmed. This marks the first drama series for the prolific Perry, who stayed strictly on the sitcom side with his TBS series, all done with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury: House Of Payne, Meet The Browns and For Better Or Worse. The Tyler Perry shows mark OWN’s first scripted offerings.

Related: Tyler Perry Is Great For OWN: Analyst Read More »

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Tyler Perry Is Great For OWN, And No Big Loss For TBS And Lionsgate: Analyst

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Monday December 10, 2012 @ 8:21am PST

Cowen and Co analyst Doug Creutz makes a plausible case, although not completely persuasive one, for his prediction this morning that Tyler Perry’s decision to make OWN his TV platform will work out for everybody. Creutz acknowledges that details haven’t been announced for the two new scripted series that Perry will introduce in mid-2013 on Oprah Winfrey’s joint venture with Discovery. Also, ”we’re not sure Perry’s sitcoms are a great match for Oprah’s aspirational female-targeted brand,” Creutz says. Still, he forecasts that the entertainer’s deal “could potentially bring a meaningful ratings boost to OWN, helping that network climb to profitability in FY13.” Discovery CEO David Zaslav has already promised the Street that OWN will at least break even. Indeed, Creutz says that Perry could increase the prime time audience at OWN by 10% or more even with smaller ratings than he generates at TBS. Read More »

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Discovery CEO Says OWN Will Become Less “Teachy And Preachy” With Tyler Perry

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Tuesday November 6, 2012 @ 7:23am PST

Tyler Perry’s exclusive TV production deal with OWN shouldn’t turn the self-improvement channel into just another general entertainment network, Discovery CEO David Zaslav told analysts this morning. “This is something Oprah really wants,” he says. “We were … Read More »

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Huffington Post Introduces OWN Section

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday November 1, 2012 @ 9:47am PDT

New York, New York – November 1, 2012 – The Huffington Post Media Group and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network today launched HuffPost OWN a new section on The Huffington Post website providing practical advice and ideas to help users find motivation, inspiration and fulfillment.

HuffPost OWN will include selections from this year’s list of Oprah’s Favorite Things from O, The Oprah Magazine’s Holiday O List, featured in the December issue, one of the most popular and recognized traditions of the Oprah Winfrey brand. The site will also exclusively feature Favorite Things trivia, a video montage of the best Favorite Things moments from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and an inside look at celebrity gifts that Oprah added to her Favorite short list.

Read More »

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Discovery CFO Says OWN Is “On Or Ahead” Of Financial Plan

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Wednesday September 19, 2012 @ 12:57pm PDT

Discovery CFO Andy Warren says that the goal is for his company to spend less this year than it did in 2011 on the joint venture with Oprah Winfrey, and for the channel to become cash flow neutral in the second … Read More »

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OWN Picks Up ‘Rachael Ray’ & Nate Berkus Show’ Cable Rights

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Tuesday September 4, 2012 @ 1:09pm PDT

The Oprah Winfrey Network is bringing some old friends to its schedule. OWN had bought the exclusive cable rights to both Rachael Ray and The Nate Berkus Show. “Rachael and Nate are a natural … Read More »

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OWN Execs Remain Resolutely Positive

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday August 2, 2012 @ 4:15pm PDT

Ray Richmond contributes to Deadline’s TV coverage.

Oprah Winfrey NetworkOWN co-presidents Sheri Salata and Erik Logan continued to put a positive spin on the embattled network’s forecast, appearing this afternoon at TCA to echo comments a few … Read More »

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OWN Announces Fall Lineup, Adds New Series

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Thursday August 2, 2012 @ 11:11am PDT

Ray Richmond contributes to Deadline’s TV coverage.

The Oprah Winfrey Network today announced in advance of TCA its fall programming lineup, ordering three new series for fall and three more for 2013 including a new reality show with … Read More »

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OWN Should Become Profitable In Late 2013, Discovery Chief Says

Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s optimistic forecast to analysts this morning is a slight improvement from three months ago when he said that his joint venture with Oprah Winfrey would merely begin to break even by late next year. He’s impressed by recent audience growth at OWN — including the 20% ratings improvement in Q2 among women 25-to-54. “Candidly we’re significantly ahead of where we thought we would be,” Zaslav said in a conference call to discuss Discovery’s Q2 earnings. While Discovery doesn’t break out revenue and profit numbers for OWN, execs said that the channel spilled less red ink in Q2 than in did in the previous quarter which included the cost of shuttering Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show. The company warned that OWN’s losses could grow in Q3: It plans to spend more on marketing as well as programming. That’s “investing into momentum,” CFO Andrew Warren says. The recent audience growth is not a blip, according to Zaslav. “We’re quite confident that we’ve begun to find the recipe for a strong women’s network” that is “starting to be what Oprah and I talked about.” He calls OWN “one of the best brands in media, and for women it may be the best brand in media.” Winfrey is “more engaged” and the channel has a “good leadership team,” Zaslav says. He adds that Oprah.com has become an important part of the mix because it helps to provide direct contact with OWN’s viewers. He notes that all eight of its initial advertising partners continue to work with the channel. Read More »

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