Oprah's struggling network, OWN, to launch new shows
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Just as it takes a television series several episodes -- heck, sometimes as much as a full season -- to find its creative footing. So, it is with TV networks.
NBC lost its way years ago and continues to scrape along the bottom of the ratings barrel; ABC is also in fairly dire straits. Even if they squandered it over time, at least those networks had a profile and an established brand to begin with.
You could argue that OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network has a brand -- Oprah! -- but she's more mascot than brand despite a lot of talk about "living your best life." So far, viewers remain unconvinced. Last month Deadline.com reported ratings for OWN among advertiser-coveted viewers ages 25-54 were down during the first quarter almost 4 percent year-to-year compared to Discovery Health, the channel OWN replaced.
Last month, Ms. Winfrey acknowledged the rocky road OWN has had since its launch.
"We're all about raising this child, and it does indeed take a village," Ms. Winfrey told ad buyers at Discovery Networks' upfront presentation. "We are all learning more and more about the viewers."
Many viewer complaints about OWN have been related to an abundance of reruns and lack of fresh programming. The channel started to rectify that issue last month with the addition of "Kidnapped by the Kids" (children take their workaholic parents away from their jobs), "Addicted to Food" (reality series set at a treatment center) and "The Judds" (docu-series that follows Naomi and Wynonna Judd on their first concert tour in 10 years).
Ratings began to perk up a bit with "Addicted to Food" growing its audience by 55 percent in the key demo year-to-year.
OWN is preparing a reality series starring Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and a daily talk show hosted by Rosie O'Donnell that will begin in September.
This week, OWN introduces a new series and a special. The series is a dull celeb-reality comeback story but the special covers a less familiar topic.
When: 11 p.m. tonight, OWN
Starring: Shania Twain.
Once a top musical act, Canadian singer Shania Twain struggles to regain her ability to perform in front of an audience following the dissolution of her marriage. Tonight's premiere episode (11 p.m.) reveals her tabloid-ready personal life: Ms. Twain's husband cheated on her with a female friend -- and now Ms. Twain is engaged to that friend's ex-husband! Clearly this show does not fall into the "celebrities, they're just like us" genre even though it seems like it wants to be.
First Published May 8, 2011 12:00 am
