Oprah Winfrey to get her own network!


Oprah Winfrey is teaming up with Discovery Communications to create a new network, cleverly titled OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The network will not carry her trademark Oprah Winfrey Show to start, but since Ms. Winfrey has the option of ending her deal for the show with the networks in 2010 and 2011, she could move the show there then.

Winfrey told reporters that "Eventually that will happen, we hope". Discovery will own half of the network, and Winfrey's production company will own the other half.

Oprah Winfrey moving to her own cable network would, if it does happen, send shock waves through the television industry and create additional problems for the already beleaguered networks. Similar to Radiohead's decision to forgo the major labels and release their album on their own, such a move would send a clear message to the networks: Cable is ubiquitous enough that top stars don't need you: We can do it ourselves and keep a bigger chunk of the money.

It's too soon to know what will happen. The new network could flop, but given Oprah's popularity, I seriously doubt that will happen.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-89.2312,801.23
NASDAQ-23.352,903.88
S&P 500-9.311,342.64

Last updated: February 12, 2012: 08:19 PM

Hot Stocks

General Electric

18.875-0.255(-1.33)

Alcoa

10.29-0.35(-3.29)

Apple Inc

493.42+0.25(+0.05)

Google Inc 'A'

605.91-5.55(-0.91)

Bank of America

8.07-0.11(-1.34)

Wal-Mart Stores

61.90-0.06(-0.10)

Exxon Mobil Corp

83.80-1.08(-1.27)

Ford

12.44-0.25(-1.97)

Citigroup

32.925-0.735(-2.18)

IBM

192.42-0.71(-0.37)

Yahoo

16.14+0.14(+0.88)

Starbucks

48.82-0.38(-0.77)

Microsoft

30.495-0.275(-0.89)

Home Depot

45.33+0.06(+0.13)

DailyFinance Headlines

Benzinga Headlines

TheFlyOnTheWall.com Headlines

BioHealth Investor Headlines

WalletPop Headlines

DailyFinance BlackBerry App

My Portfolios

Track your stocks here!

Find out why more people track their portfolios on AOL Money & Finance then anywhere else.

BloggingStocks Partners

More from AOL Money & Finance

BioHealth Investor Headlines

Page Loaded in 1329095987767 ms.