Daytime television queen Oprah Winfrey is getting her very own TV channel.
Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced Tuesday they would jointly
create OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, a cable television channel that
will debut in the US in 2009 in place of the Discovery Health Channel,
which is available in more than 70 million American homes.
Winfrey said that she hoped to move her top-rated talk show "The
Oprah Winfrey Show" to the new channel when her current commitment
expires in 2010 or 2011.
The venture will be half owned by Discovery and by Winfrey's production
company Harpo. Winfrey also has a radio show, magazine, a popular website
and other ventures.
Winfrey will serve as chairwoman of the network, will have full editorial
control over the joint venture and will be responsible for its "programming,
branding and creative vision", the companies said in a press release.