America’s talk show queen Oprah Winfrey now broadcasts around the clock thanks to her own TV station. Critics, however, doubt the success of the project.
Talkmaster Oprah Winfrey has launched her own television station in the USA. “Yes, the Oprah Winfrey network is finally on air,” she said when the OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) channel was activated on January 1. “This is an exciting day in my life, opening a new chapter in my life with all of you.” The channel can be received by 80 million households and broadcasts around the clock.
The program should “inspire and give viewers hope,” Winfrey had previously announced. She wants to do this above all with talk shows on health, psychology and money as well as cooking shows and reality shows.
Although Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest and most influential stars in the US media industry, experts are not sure whether her new channel will be as successful as her talk show, which has been broadcast on ABC for many years. “Oprah has a strong name, but it’s really hard to change people’s TV habits and get them used to a new channel,” said management consultant Derek Baine.
To boost ratings, Winfrey engaged celebrities such as Sarah Ferguson, ex-daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, and Canadian singer and Grammy winner Shania Twain.