Oprah Winfrey will launch a new television network with Discovery Communications that will be a “natural extension” of her show, her company said Tuesday.
“The Oprah Winfrey Network” will be a multi-platform media venture “designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives,” according to a joint statement with Discovery, which owns the Discovery Network and Animal Planet, among others.
The new channel will debut in 2009 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel.
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.
“Fifteen years ago, I wrote in my journal that one day I would create a television network, as I always felt my show was just the beginning of what the future could hold,” said Winfrey, who is among the top-earning US celebrities and ranked second to US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a recent US poll on most admired women.
“For me, the launch of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Network’ is the evolution of the work I’ve been doing on television all these years and a natural extension of my show,” she said.
She will be chairwoman of the network, owned 50-50 by Discovery and her company, Harpo Productions. In return for taking over a network already operated by Discovery, Winfrey gives up half ownership of the Oprah.com Web site.
oprah is a bad Woman …. She is a real role model ….I love her !!!!
Congratulations Oprah!!! Aquariuses doing it big! And she went to my Alumni, Tennessee State University! I love Oprah!
You may not agree with her political affiliations or how she spends her money , but Oprah has set the standard not just for black women but for all women….
I am sorry I cannot fault somebody who came from absolutely nothing to this…truely phenomenal….
Doesn’t she co-own the Oxygen network too or something?
Go Oprah do it big I am not surprise just thought it would have happened sooner.
I had heard about this when I was in New York at Fantasia’s final performance in New York backstage it was the buzz, I asked Fantasia if it was true and she just smiled, and changed the subject.
I heard someone else mention it around October in the industry but I thought it was a rumor.
Way to go Oprah and you canbet it will not bt like BET, and she will never sell out.
Yhanks Oprah good loking out!!!! God bless you.
Wow, Oprah can i borrow a million dollars? # 3 is absolutely correct. People can say what they want about this woman, but at the end of the day she is probably the most rich and successful African American woman in the U.S.
Please forgive my typos this plane is pretty rocky this am (turbulence). I can spell you know.
@#4 She sold her shares of the oxygen network for 90 million and that was around the time I heard about this, because when I heard she had sold her shares I wondered what she was up too.
Also if I am not mistaken Tyler Perry and Gail King may have something also invested in this network but she is the founder and owner.
I’ve said enough.
In fact Tyler kind of eluded to it in one of his inteviews for movie project “Why did I get married.”
Well done Oprah!!!! I feel proud to be a black woman … shows that was you’ve got ur head screwed on, the right attitude & determination you can acheive your goals. God Bless her x x
Do your thing O!
What’s up, I am sitting here in B’Ham getting ready to start work at the Obama headquarters here can’t wait to show everyone this, we all love Oprah and you are absolutely correct.
Everyone signing on the Loop today have a good one okay and pray about this election alright!!!
To the Loop staff thanks for keeping us informed with the positive stuff that will motivate and inspire us.
That’s a good pic of Lady O too!!!!
I am doing the happy dance just for Oprah she makes all us black women look good and such an outstansding role model and she does it with class.
Woooo-hoooooo, get it Ms. Oprah, yep, buy up everything…she probably got donald trump scared as hell….he in the boardroom with his bottom lip poking out and arms folded saying “damn, what she trying to do, buy up everything?” I LOVE IT!!!
#4: Oprah was an early and visible investor in the development of Oxygen. But she said she quickly determined that Oxygen “did not reflect my voice” and withdrew support.
Peace and blessings,
J. Dakar
I could only hope to be as half as successful as this woman. GO OPRAH! You are an inspiration.
Im am so proud of her, as a woman, and as a black woman. Non-stop hustle, what other way should it be!?!?!?!?!
Go ‘head O!!!
I like that- the Oprah Winfrey Network…it fits her- because she knows how to “OWN” everything she touches!! LOL!!
Do you ma!
J. Dakar: I can understand that. I questioned whether Oprah still had any affiliation with the Oxygen Network when They introduced the “Bad Girls Club” and ” Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency”. Didn’t seem like that was the kind of image Oprah wanted to potray to women. I really was fond of the network until then, but now it seems to be going down hill like the rest of TV. Oprah’s new network can’t come soon enough. I love The One network, and OWN will be right up there with it I’m sure. Can’t say enough how proud I am of her, and thanks for the info NYNY and J. Dakar!
Oprah, we love you here in South Africa!!! keep doing your thing gurl…
am i missing something?? she already has a network–OXYGEN channel. HElloooooo? And they play enough Oprah reruns already.
well, i am proud of her…she is every black woman’s role model…..so where can I apply for a job at this new network???????????? Will it be based in Chicago?
And it looks like she knew when to hold them and fold them becaue 90$ million ain’t no joke.
@j dakar….is that a picture of you or Harold Ford in your avatar????
Can you or did you read any of the previous comments. She soldher shares of the Oxygen network for $90 million and as J D said she said the network did not reflect her values. Please read before commenting it will give you clarity and you understanding.
Oprah always gotta keep doing bigger and better things…I’m not mad at her. She’s a bad chick.
I like the way she handles her business, you don’t see her everywhere and she just pops up out of now where, she has some real good people working for her.
Oprah is a grand lady and the way they talked about her in the beginning who would have thought all this……..some of you guys may not been around you thinking they messing with Obama they use to hate on her like you all do Fantasia for real, no one believed she could do it when she first started in Chicago but her BFF Gail King.
Oprah is just a powerhouse…Love It!!!!
I was around then,I remember she did not fit into their stereotype of what someone on tv should be and she was a plus size African American woman with an afro and guys she did not always dress like that.
Go to her site and check out the timeline photos.
I think that is really why she endorsed Obama too and others people try to bring down is because she remembers what it was like for her and she made it with Gods help.
A place to produce your own shows and movies and have them seen.
WOW
Way to go Oprah. You’ve come a long way baby, and you have stayed steady in the game.
#22: Definitely.
#23: Me.
Peace and blessings,
J. Dakar
Go Oprah Go!!!
now that’s a hustle i can respect.
Oprah please adopt me
YES OPRAH!!! I LOVE her. Now SHE is what I call the American Dream!
Message to all the young girls out there wondering what there going to do with their life once they become an adult: FOLLOW IN OPRAH’S FOOTSTEPS! THIS IS THE WAY YOU COME UP! DO NOT! look to the video girls/reality trash tv and think that is the way to go.
SECOND TO HILARY CLINTON? I THINK SHE SHOULD BE FIRST AND HILARY SHOULD BE SECOND.
YES OPRAAAAAAAH!!!!
HUGE! MAJOR! MASSIVE!
TSU stand up!
Kudos to Oprah. . . she’s doing the damn thing.
OKAY OPRAH!!!!! YOU ALRIGHT WITH ME, YOU AND I ARE NEARLY THE SAME AGE, SEEMS TO ME YOU ARE A WISE WOMAN.
FYI DID THE CLINTON THING TWICE NOT GOING BACK I AM FEELING OBAMA ME AND MY FAMILY…….WE ARE WITH YOU IN THIS
THANKS FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE IN SUPPORTING AND HELPING OTHERS YOU DESERVE THIS.
OWN…..LOVING EVERY BIT OF THIS!!!!!
…AND THE WAY HELLARY BEEN CLOWNING LATELY NO.2 SHE DOES NOT DESERVE!!!!!!!!
YEA!!!! IS RIGHT WISDOM AND WEALTH GO HAND AND HAND!!!!!!
I AGREE WITH ALL YOU SAID I AM OLD SCHOOL TOO, I HOPE THE YOUNG ONES RUN WITH THIS!!!!
OPRAH, OPRAH, OPRAH!!!!!!
I love her. She’s my mentor in EVERY way… From one Mississipian to another – YOU BETTA WORK!
Toodles,
Wow, go get ‘em girl!!!! Now she is truly the American Dream, can’t hate her hustle. I admire this woman tremendously.
She’s also the co founder of the Oxygen network. Gotta love her. Do your thang Oprah
It would be cool for the Big O to produce a show that could give advice on how to start your own business,or how to invest in the stock market,not that b.s. that comes on bet.I must say that she has come a long way from the time that I use to see her doing the local news in Baltimore,get ‘em Big O.
Oprah is a testament to the rewards that one may receive when they whole-heartedly give themselves over to this world and sell their soul. She has been set up as a paragon of empowerment to deceive the masses of people who associate material wealth with righteousness. She is allowed to be as affluent as she is and “purchase networks”, lol, becasue she’s a good soldier and follows her marching orders extremely well. Simply view her show and scan her audience and you can understand her mentality.
Chump assed rappers can say whatever they want about the O, she’s doing her thang, sharing her wealth, to hell with the haters. God bless Oprah.
Oprah is the shyt!
All I can say is O keep your nose clean…they are taking down black people these days!!!!!!!
didnt i say that oprah was taking over the world. one television set at a time. look what happened. THE OPRAHLUTION HAS BEGUN lol.
you better do that oprah….she look good too.
THE A LARGER NUMBER THAN BET REACHES!!!!! AND ALSO A MIXED DEMOGRAPHIC NOT JUST URBAN BUT MAINSTREAM, YOU ALL BETTER BE NICE TO OPRAH SO YOU CAN GET ON HER NEW NETWORK!!!!!
AND BY THE TIME SHE LAUNCHES THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE GREATER!!!!!
Wow, if i had my own network, it would make BET look like sh*t. lol
DOOOO IT OPRAH!!! GET MORE BILLIONS!!!
O needs to save BET
STANDING OVATION!!!
i love oprah she is so inspiring, her life is just extraordinary and she’s doing such big things. We love you oprah.
Lady O never cease to amaze……..what can I say……..she just baaadddd!!
Go OPRAH.. I DONT THINK O NEEDS TO SAVE BET. BET NEEDS TO SAVE ITSELF.. FORGET BET WE SHOULD CREATE OUR OWN NETWORK OR SHOW JUST YOU TUBE IT MAY NOT REACH THE MASSES BUT WE NEED TO SAVE OURSELVES INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR A NETWORK TO DO IT.
is NYNY the feds?
As a broadcasting major Oprah really inspires me, I love her.
I AM SO SICK OF THIS CREEP. MOVE OVER OLD WITCH AND GIVE THE YOUNG GENERATION A CHANCE LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE DO. THIS IS THE EPITOME OF SELFISH, OBSESSED WITH SELF LOVE BEHAVIOR.