BREAKING NEWS Oprah Winfrey To Form Television Network With Discovery Communications

Oprah Winfrey, shown here in New York last year, will co-own a branded cable channel with Discovery Communications beginning in 2009. (George Burns/Harpo Productions via AP)

The logo for the new channel. (Discovery)Oprah Winfrey will add a cable television network to her stable of media properties in 2009 with the formation of “OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.”

The network will be formed in a joint venture between Harpo Productions and Discovery Communications, the company announced today. The channel will displace the eight-year-old Discovery Health Channel in more than 68 million homes. The channel will be coordinated with Ms. Winfrey’s Web site, Oprah.com.
The deal will have no immediate effect on Ms. Winfrey’s existing talk show, which is the most popular series in syndication. Her contract for that does not expire until 2011.

“In addition to providing her talent, and personal commitment, Winfrey will have full editorial control over the joint venture and will be responsible for OWN’s programming, branding and creative vision,” a press release stated.
“Some of Winfrey’s stable of regular contributors could be expected to be part of the programming,” the Associated Press reports. “Winfrey’s current talk show, as well as rights to use of reruns, is spoken for until the end of the 2010-11 season.”
Ms. Winfrey was a prominent financial supporter of Oxygen, the cable television network that was purchased by NBC Universal last year. While she made some on-air appearances on Oxygen, she did not have the editorial control that she will have through the joint venture with Discovery.

The companies said it was a cashless deal, but did not disclose other financial details. OWN will also seek a chief executive to oversee day to day operations.
Oprah.com will become part of the new network, which will operate as an independent company. Discovery will handle distribution and operational needs for the new network, while both partners will work on advertising sales.
Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co and Advance/Newhouse Programming, which plan to take the cable network public in the second quarter.

The announcement builds a media empire that already includes the top-rated TV talk show, a magazine, a satellite radio network, a Web site and TV movies made under her banner.

‘’This is an evolution of what I’ve been able to do every day,'’ Winfrey said. ‘’I will now have the opportunity to do this 24 hours a day on a platform that goes on forever.'’