Will people follow Oprah to cable?

11/26/09

The big news in media these days is Oprah’s announcement that in 2011 she is ending her syndicated show and starting her own cable network – the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

The premise is that content is king and people will seek out Oprah wherever she may be. Of course how much Oprah people will be getting is unclear at this time, since the website declares that the network will be devoted to “self-discovery”, and that Oprah will “appear and participate in new programming” – but doesn’t clarify exactly what that means. (Steinberg, 2009)

While the double revenue stream of cable (advertising and subscriptions) may be more lucrative, the recent disappointing performance of O Magazine (newsstand sales were down – 6% in the first half of 2009), suggests that the medium is as important as the message. (Kelly, 2009)

And, let’s not forget about Howard Stern. Howard who you might ask? He may have made oodles of money moving to satellite radio, but he lost his platform and marginalized his voice in the process.

Is that what’s in store for the queen of daytime?


Steinberg, B. (2009, November 20). Will Oprah’s Move to Cable Dampen the ‘Oprah Effect’? adage.com. Retrived November 25, 2009, from
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=140668

Kelly, K. (2009, November 21). Hearst planning makeover of slumping Oprah Magazine. nypost.com. Retrived November 25, 2009, from
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hearst_planning_makeover_of_slumping_MbnGNU5VHLEzKnB14S6uOJ