Why is Oprah’s new channel struggling?
AP photo
The AJC ran an interesting story by the St. Pete Times’ Eric Deggans in the Sunday Living section yesterday, about how OWN, the new Oprah Winfrey channel, is struggling.
From the article:
“The week of April 18, OWN drew an average of 127,000 viewers across its broadcast day, with 52,000 viewers among women ages 25 to 54. In prime-time hours during the same week, the average jumped to 216,000, with 78,000 in her core audience of women ages 25 to 54. In comparison, an average 6.3 million watched the syndicated Oprah show each day that week.”
During its January debut week, OWN drew 1 million viewers.
In other words, viewers love “The Oprah Winfrey Show” but that affinity doesn’t seem to be carrying over to the Oprah Winfrey channel.
“Clearly, it’s time for Winfrey to reboot OWN,” wrote Deggans.
Oprah devotees are gearing up for the finale of Winfrey’s daytime talk show, will (we’ve heard of folks planning viewing parties, similar to the Royal Wedding watching parties held during the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton). Then what?
When the lights go out at Oprah’s show, will things start looking up at OWN?
- Jennifer Brett/The Buzz/jbrett@ajc.com
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59 comments Add your comment
ADL
May 9th, 2011
10:16 am
Then the sheeple will watch her on her own network, but I think that is about all they will watch.
emmysmom
May 9th, 2011
10:23 am
I don’t understand this at all. I am not an Oprah fan and never watch her show, but I do enjoy many programs on the OWN network. Maybe after her show leaves the air, those viewers will give it a chance. I hope so.
Sunshine
May 9th, 2011
10:28 am
Oprah’s network does not provide a varitey of programs to watch. Most of the programs on her network are programs that have previously been aired on other networks. She needs to provide viewers with new programs and ideas, not re-runs of Dr.Phil and movies that we have seen time and time again.
Same shows
May 9th, 2011
10:49 am
I’ve been trying to figure out her network channel. Everytime I turn it on, it’s the same show. Like how many times can we watch the reruns. Then her shows are boring. It’s like she’s still getting started with the network.
Loran, whatayagot?
May 9th, 2011
11:42 am
She has ceased to be relevant, and makes no bones about her liberal politics. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving person.
Merrie
May 9th, 2011
11:52 am
Where can I find it Comcast cable? Really, I think that is the problem. It is easier to watch the channels I already know than to take time to hunt down a new show’s channel number.
Chuck
May 9th, 2011
11:56 am
Too much of a dull thing?
Justin
May 9th, 2011
12:09 pm
@Loran, whatayagot?
Maybe she has ceased to be relevant to you, but to many of us still love her, including me and I’m a republican.
Michael
May 9th, 2011
12:57 pm
Maybe her time is just up. What else does she have to prove
Enough already
May 9th, 2011
12:59 pm
While Oprah has done a lot of good things, and her producers put together great shows, it’s been 25 years and many folks–including myself–are just tired of her. I am proud of her personal accomplishments. BUT…
She’s become very self-righteous; she’s a praise hog; she’s likely in the closet with Gayle (her close friends say she is). Oprah rarely gives voice to other Black women, and many (finally) noticed that.
She is often overexposed, kinda everywhere and even told Rosie that fame hadn’t corrupted her. It has. Sometimes its good to just step back some. Will she die if she’s not on TV trying to put more feathers in her cap, or jewels in her crown?
She needs to take a break for herself; recognize her own truths, and give the rest of us a break, too. I’m looking forward to her being off main TV, not that I watched her regularly. Once in a blue moon. Goodbye, Oprah.
Tami
May 9th, 2011
1:25 pm
I love OWN, but I wonder if the low numbers have anything to do with which cable/satellite subscribers can afford the expanded subscription that includes OWN or not. There are new shows coming which I’m interested in. But I don’t know myself how much longer I can continue to afford expanded digital cable. I’m just patiently waiting for all my shows — on OWN and other stations — to come to their seasonal conclusions this month, and then make a decision at that point.
No Winfrey stan here
May 9th, 2011
1:36 pm
OWN is not part of my cable package. I refuse to pay extra to see it. I don’t like Oprah that much.
Gestar
May 9th, 2011
1:37 pm
Many die-hard Oprah fans can’t watch the OWN channel because it is not offered as a standard channel or part of the basic cable package. Consumers can’t watch OWN without forking over an extra fee to cable providers to change their package. In this day and age, who has the extra money to do that. There’s half million of her viewers right there.
WAR EAGLE
May 9th, 2011
2:16 pm
People are tired of Oprah. She has shown her true colors. she invests in Africa rather than the USA for the most part, and she aligns herself with the WORST President the US has had since day one.He is worse than Jimmy. Many people are figuring it out that Oprah and Gayle are an item and that she is not representing her target audience’s morals. Oprah’s time has come. and it is time for her to go graze. This all started when she came out saying “she was free at last” like a slave. GO AWAY OPRAH!
Mark
May 9th, 2011
2:24 pm
I don’t watch OWN because it is a pay channel on Dish network!
Jenny
May 9th, 2011
2:31 pm
I have to agree with “Enough Already” at 12:59 pm. She’s has become very self-righteous. I stopped watching her several years ago and I refuse to buy anything she endorses. I am tired of her and all her opinions but I am also tired of Dr. Phil too. Dr. Phil is working on my last nerve with his show. He’s been drinking the koolaid that Oprah’s drank for years. They all are stuck on themselves.
BTW, the few times I was surfing the tv channels and stopped at OWN, it was reruns.
Average Joe
May 9th, 2011
2:46 pm
Obama / Africa / Oprah. No thanks to it all.
John Cena
May 9th, 2011
3:19 pm
Who??
OMG...Really
May 9th, 2011
3:39 pm
Are you people serious. MUST you turn EVERYTHING into something political.
Jesus.
Browncoat
May 9th, 2011
3:41 pm
Because it sucks.
Fletch
May 9th, 2011
3:49 pm
OK, I have caught glimpses of the final season when my wife was home on maternity leave. It is the most obnoxious celebration of herself that I have ever seen. Seriously, my wife loves Oprah and thinks it is just unwatchable now. She is just a daytime talkshow host and without a daytime talkshow…what is she really?
Kay
May 9th, 2011
4:10 pm
Amen! Browncoat
Ben B
May 9th, 2011
4:51 pm
This article was written by a St. Pete Times writer. OWN is on the basic cable with Bright House. Own suffers from old stuff (Dr.Phil) and movies seen many times and some mediocre new stuff (The Judds). At this point, I think Oprah is just overexposed!
Captain Midnight
May 9th, 2011
4:52 pm
“The big black cloud” couldn’t be further up her “own” butt.
Track
May 9th, 2011
5:03 pm
YAAAAAWWWWN! Oprah WHO?
Track
May 9th, 2011
5:05 pm
Okra (Oprah), don’t go away mad, Just go away!
Pam
May 9th, 2011
6:01 pm
OWN needs to be easier to find and more appealing once you (I) find it.
drsoul
May 9th, 2011
6:10 pm
Oprah ratings have been nosediving for some time….the only reason it is popular this season is because it is the last and all of the giveaways and special ‘old’ programs… OWN lacks originality and diverse programming to cross the span of TV viewers…and, bringing back Rosie and some of the other reality crap that is coming to OWN is going to cause it’s demise…. Oprah is OLD NEWS…!!!
OWN might spike like the first week or so after she leaves ABC, then OWN will die a slow death until someone else comes in and buys it out or takes it over….Oprah cannot carry a network…
ANYMORE….she should get a ’sex change’ and she and Gayle can go off in the moonlight together and be gone, both FOREVER…!!!!
B-Bro
May 9th, 2011
6:12 pm
If anyone has time to watch all that crap I sure hope someone already has the dinner cooked and the house cleaned whether it be male or female.
Anon
May 9th, 2011
6:30 pm
I was annoyed because it took the place of one of my favorites, the Discovery Health Channel!
Loran, whatayagot?
May 9th, 2011
6:45 pm
To Justin the”Republican”. Sorry, I don’t believe you. She is also 1/2″deep and 50 feet wide (Not commenting on her girth). But I suppose she has a place with those of her like-mindedness.
Boring
May 9th, 2011
7:00 pm
The problem with Oprah’s network is that its old school boring…today..with so many choice in media..networks have to cater to a large variety of market segments..simple reason why nightly news does so poorly..she needs fresh new undiscovered faces, cover a variety of topics and show types and AGES….learn from MTV(who shows very little in videos now) and ABC Family which hosts simple to complex shows and characters, learn from Disney and Nickelodeon who could not survive on only “Mickey and Minnie” or “Dora the Explorer”..without diversity in programing you just won’t make it…
Boring
May 9th, 2011
7:03 pm
By the way Oprah..learn from your good friend Tyler Perry….you can only dress up in drag so many times before it just isn’t funny anymore!…even he has moved on to add other projects….its a fast pace world and you better hire and find the right people who can deal with it!
annie
May 9th, 2011
7:05 pm
NEEDS MORE DIVERSITY!!!
Jack
May 9th, 2011
7:25 pm
I have never understood the fascination with the lady. She needs to stop while she’s ahead.
Wendy
May 9th, 2011
7:59 pm
I would love to watch but will NOT pay the cable comany a penny more so the result no OWN! She is an amazing woman with a spirit that has helped make the world a better and more just place but I cannot pay comcast another penny!!!!
Collette
May 9th, 2011
8:03 pm
It’s just boring. A lot of the shows are just rehashed versions of what’s already on tv. Just a few shows are fresh and interesting.
jan brady
May 9th, 2011
10:19 pm
Ms. Winfrey should change her stance and purchase All My Children and One Life to Live from ABC. It would be a pivotal opportunity for her to show the head of ABC, Mr. Brian Frons just how a network is supposed to be run. Supposedly he thinks we want more Reality TV and talk shows. I’d like to know just who the “we” is. This would be a sublime chance for Oprah to take US Daytime Dramas to the next level and globalize them to reach a new audience and sponsor market. Sprinkle a more diverse cast into both soaps and include subtitles to effectively draw in a larger audience and wider variety of sponsors. The South Koreans got that one right a long time ago. Check out Smile Again Donghae on KTN. It’s an everyday Korean Drama that draws in nearly a third of the viewership in South Korea and has an extremely large following here in the US. Also check out Korean Dramas on Hulu. Boys Before Flowers, My Lovely Sam-Soon, Secret Garden and Playful Kiss, just to name a few, are wonderful entertainment. I’m not even Korean and am absolutely hooked.
Judi
May 10th, 2011
12:34 am
Look, I’d pretty much had it with her when she started her own magazine and PUT HERSELF ON THE COVER EVERY MONTH! Honestly, that’s the kind of ego that consumes everything that ever might have been good about her. Now she’s got her OWN network… what a surprise. Yawn.
Stop Hating
May 10th, 2011
1:07 am
First and far most, you need to educate yourselves on the many charities that Ms. Winfrey contributes to, not only around the world, but also here in the U.S.. There were the Katrina victims that she forked over millions to assist with housing, food and medicine. There are even millions that she contributed to here in Atlanta to Morehouse College. So please stop hating about where she spends her money. It’s her money, she earned it, and can do whatever with it she dam well please.
J.
May 10th, 2011
8:16 am
Because people are sick of her and her slack jawed minions.
DanDeacon
May 10th, 2011
8:22 am
Oprah has been irresponsible by using her celebrity (if that’s what you call it) to mislead millions on the the fact that the ONLY way to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture in the Bible clearly verifies this and for her to defy the scripture of God is blasphemy. She needs to go away as she is doing and her Network will be a failure. God will not allow blasphemy and Oprah will wither away on a vine as many unintellectual celebrities have over time. You see, the choice people make is FOREVER (unlike celebrities, who have corrupted themselves and only last a short time).
It is said in the Bible as proof that Jesus is the only way to heaven – “Jesus Declared That He Was The Only Way Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) – You see, we don’t get to heaven by what we do on earth, not even by going to church every Sunday….we get to heaven based on that scripture and it’s the only way!! You must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is up to us worldly people to find God no matter where we are on this earth. He created us and he knows that we all have the ability to come to him. We have a choice….
Who is Oprah to defy God’s word. She should pray for forgiveness. Boycott her show and anything that she is connected with as she has shown just how ignorant she’s become.
Chief Wiggum
May 10th, 2011
8:29 am
Judi nailed it.
ENORMOUS EGO.
She started her magazine, and placed herself on the cover every month. Jeez.
Also, most of the shows are recycled shows from the Discovery set of networks. I am assuming it’s run and produced as a part of Discovery. What you have is 90% recycled Discovery, and 10% enormous ego. Not a good combination.
carla roqs
May 10th, 2011
8:33 am
jan brady–interesting idea and i dont even watch soaps- sounds great though. deacon danny- as a fundamental, conservative, born again Christian, i say to you– OPRAH DOES NOT READ THIS COLUMN. granted, i think a lot of prominent atlantans do, to see themselves in print. but, if you wanna send a message to oprah, write her a letter – hope you do not get arrested. i do not watch oprah, (i know, sorry) but i do not think she broadcasts anti christ church services. witnessing to others is important, but ummmmmmmmmm, the Bible also says: judge not that ye be not judged, and … make sure of the block of wood in your eye before trying to remove the splinter in your neighbor’s eye. oprah has helped a lot of people. is she saved? i dont know and neither do you. peace
UCJZ
May 10th, 2011
9:01 am
This network will be huge, mark my words! None of you doubters have obviously ever started a business from the ground up. It takes more than a few months…
Reign
May 10th, 2011
9:24 am
The OWN network is STALE! Her show could have been an opportunity for us to see something new fresh and progressive, but she has old stale movies, Dr Phil (we can watch him on the other network, duh), Gail’s show is stale, but not too bad, bottom line is she hasn’t put any work into this network to make it worth watching. We don’t want to watch the same sh*t we’ve been watching. We think of her as progressive, forward thinking so we (or I) expected something new and different. Better movies, new fashion designers, new interior designers, couple experts, new cooks/chefs cooking up healthy food, shows that inspire, motivate and make you feel renewed, energetic, and hopeful…
Mary
May 10th, 2011
9:36 am
I have absolutely no desire to watch another left-wing lesbian on TV.
Bubba
May 10th, 2011
10:30 am
….Cause its stupid.
Facts
May 10th, 2011
10:47 am
She should not have launched the network until her show was at the end. Too many watch her on syndication like always. She should have started to feature others who would appear on the OWN network on the cover of ‘O’ magazine starting a year ago to build up interest. She needs a channel with more than self help shows, old movies and “Oprah and Gayle on the road”. The ratings will pick up after her show is off syndication and her fans are forced to tune to OWN to see her, but then we will see what should be the channel’s draw.
She is very good at what she does ……her talk show. Her weakness is she feels everything associated with her has to feature her or Gayle. Over exposure is tiring.
The Cake Fairy
May 10th, 2011
11:56 am
I’ve watched Oprah since I was a teen and now I’m well into my 30s, and this issue with OWN has nothing to do with Africa or Obama. The problem is the network is just boring. The network is not relevant as everything is old or too educational. People want to be entertained through laughter and even through tears. Even her reality shows aren’t in line with what’s happening on the other networks. Oprah needs to turn the channel to see what Americans are really watching and enjoying. Yes, much of it is garbage, but these are the times we live in. She can’t dictate what we want to see…she has to give us what we want to see. If not, her network will be a failure.