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Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav and Oprah
Winfrey announce the launch of "OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network",
Jan. 15, 2008, in Chicago. (Discovery Communications
Photo)
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U.S. daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey is to jointly create the
Oprah Winfrey Network, with cable programming company Discovery
Communications, Winfrey and Discovery announced Wednesday.
The cable television channel will make its debut in mid-2009 on
what is now the Discovery Health Channel.
Winfrey will serve as chairwoman of the network, will have full
editorial control over OWN and will be responsible for its
"programming, branding and creative vision," the companies
said.
Discovery and Winfrey would immediately begin a search for a
chief executive for OWN, said David Zaslav, president and chief
executive of Discovery.
Winfrey was host of a 12-part series called "Oprah Goes Online"
on Oxygen cable channel, which Winfrey said "did not reflect my
voice."
With the Oprah Winfrey Network, "I will have editorial control,"
she said. "I have a vision for what we want to accomplish with this
network."
Details of program plans aren't yet decided.
(Xinhua/Agencies January 16, 2008)