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Economy Not Slowing Oprah's New TV Net

  • Variety, Monday, November 24, 2008 9:15 AM

The market conditions for launching a cable channel next year are far from ideal. Nonetheless, Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications are moving full speed ahead with the Oprah Winfrey Network, which is slated for late 2009 or early 2010.

Los Angeles-based OWN has recruited prominent TV biz execs for senior positions, including Robin Schwartz, former president of Fox joint venture Regency TV, as president. Robert Tercek, former MTV marketing maven, was recently named president of digital media. The hunt for a CEO has been put on the back burner, however, because candidates wanted more equity in the business than Winfrey or Discovery were willing to give.

Business observers say that even as the viewership playing field between broadcast and cable TV flattens, Winfrey could not buy a better promotional springboard for OWN than her well-established daytime talk show. (The show won't have a place on OWN at the outset, due to contracts with local stations.)

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