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Why aren't viewers flocking to OWN?

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gsdx

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I thought fans would follow Oprah anywhere, but it seems they're avoiding OWN. It's been nothing but a struggle. And now, Rosie (another 'can't miss' personality) is 'missing'. Her opening-day audience was smaller than a lot of small cities.

What is Oprah doing wrong? Why has her network been failing since it hit the airwaves?

I'm not an Oprah fan. I never watched her show, but I know how popular and powerful she is. I figured her network would be a contender right from the beginning, but it hasn't been. Why are viewers staying away?
 
I think a lot of viewers began to sour on her after she became vocally Democrat and pro-Obama in the 2008 election. In prior elections, she invited both Presidential candidates to speak on her show.

Plus, OWN is on satellite or cable, which costs more money......so only the most diehard of Oprah's fans would pay extra to receive her channel. Before, she was on regular TV.
 
I think their are a couple of reasons. One is: if you have cable you have to digital cable to get the network. Lots of Americans only have basic analog cable, so her network isn't available to them. So, when judging the network's ratings you need to compare them to networks like: BBC America, Sundance, IFC, etc.

Also, so far the network has been unimpressive. The line-up is full of old Discovery and ABC News programming we've all seen before.

I think they messed up by putting the network on before they had a full slate of programming produced.
 
Im a diehard O fan and watched her show from beginning to end but OWN seems like another Lifetime channel and nothing really fun on there. I was over Rosie years ago so that is no draw. Gayle is boring and a name dropper lol but I don't think her endorsement of Obama had anything to do with it because her show was still on top till the end. I just think with everything going on folks want to laugh not be depressed and OWN is not exactly on everyone's cable listing.
 
The only thing I like on OWN is the weekly series with Lisa Ling. It's well done and she covers and reports on interesting (often controversial) people in America. The new season starts this Sunday night. Other than that OWN is a total bore. Literally.
 
It takes quite awhile for a new network to attract viewers and grow, especially with all the fragmentation in cable TV ( a couple hundred channels to choose from). The fact that it's a new cable network will naturally cut way down on the number of viewers since many people may not get the tier of service it is on or don't know how to find it. With all of Oprah's marketing genius (and money), I'm sure she will find a way to promote and market the new network. It's going to take time. Cable TV networks STILL have only a fraction of the viewers of regular TV networks. Also, the nation is around 80% cable-penetrated, which means that the 20% who don't have cable, for whatever reasons, won't be able to see Oprah at all.
 
I don't have cable, and I think cable is kind of a technology in its descent. And from what I saw of the channel (this was a while back when I had a free trial of cable), the channel wasn't different enough. The same reality type shows in an annoying format. I don't think they were brave enough. Get some really eccentric, bright thinkers and give them an hour to talk instead of these inane reality shows where the camera shot changes every two seconds and there is no content. I think OWN is too much like a lot of other cable channels, which as a new channel in a dying medium is probably the riskiest thing of all to be.
 
I thought it was because A) She's not on the network herself so her fans see no point in gravitating to an Oprah-less station. and B) Like it's a dish/box channel and not everyone (all of Oprah's fans) has extended cable.
 
Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info.

I thought it would be a hit with all the publicity, especially when she took over the reins. Maybe she thought as I did that the network would fly on her name alone.
 
She has just started her own show on the network: Oprah's Lifeclass.

It's very much like the final episode of her show and I find it preachy. I'm not really sure the richest woman in the world is the right person to be offering "life instruction" to be people she can no longer relate to.
 
I think she had run her course. Getting political probably wasn't the best move, but she was winding down, set for life, and probably just felt like it.

Wasn't she pretty much down to a few big giveaway shows a year? I know they kept the dates very secret so people might come to the other shows during the year.
 
Nothing I wanted to see until Rosie's show started this week. I'm recording that.

Never cared for Oprah. I only watched her show when Barbra was on it, plus a few TV cast reunions.
 
when they took ADDICTED TO FOOD off, i had to go. that was my show.
 
Phillyurban8 said:
I'd like to begin with the above observation. I've watched Oprah's Masterclass and I was riveted during her own life story episode parts I and II. I also think her final Oprah show was nothing short of AMAZING. I could watch it over and over and still gain some kernels of wisdom. HOWEVER, I don't like her Lifeclass. Why? Because it's a rehash of 25 years of the Oprah show. I don't want to relive the past 25 years. We've got too many issues in the here and now. I think Lifeclass is going to fail with a "thud."

As for the channel itself, it's on basic cable in my area. Creating a loyal viewership will take time as others have said and developing programs that are interesting will as well.

As popular as Oprah was, her syndicated show was being beat out by Judge Judy in the ratings. Many people are unaware of this but it's true. I think OWN may prove to be a big mistake. What Miss O should have done is created a prime time weekly show for one of the major networks that highlighted a different cause de jour every week. That way she'd still maintain her influence and notoriety, while not having to create a show every day, five days a week.
Click to expand...

Another reason it's going to hard to program a whole network. Not everyone wants the same thing. You loved her last show...I felt like I was at The Church of Oprah and found it annoying.

I wonder why the network isn't better...it's not her first try at network. No one mentions Oxygen. Has anyone heard why she sold her interest in it?
 
I recorded and watched the whole final season of O and the behind the scenes series, too, after years of not caring about her. Got into OWN with the hype for about at week, but then stopped watching. UNTIL...Rosie came back! Had to Google to find what channel OWN is in my market (222). Love Rosie. She's getting grounded in the new gig. Also, if she hasn't already, Oprah needs to let Rosie do her thing. She is bright, down to earth, nice, caring, etc. and pretty funny, too. Leaving Oprah's Lifeclass on following, and it is interesting. She uses clips from her million or so interviews to serve as examples and discussion points for topics like "forgiveness", "letting go" or whatever. I never saw Lisa Ling, but that looks good....Amateur porn is the topic this Sunday. That should see a bump in the ratings....
 
Just a guess, but a lot of people in America are hurting financially. For the poor, the working class, and the struggling middle class, "spiritual guidance" from a holier than thou billionaire might not seem so appealing.
 
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