“Our job is to build this network over time to be as lasting as the Oprah Winfrey Show.”
How exactly do you convert an hourlong syndicated TV show into a cable channel pumping out 1,200 hours of programming each year? There’s Winfrey’s longtime galpal Gayle King, hosting a live one-hour show simulcast on satellite radio at 10 a.m. every weekday, starting Jan. 10. Superstar pals boosted by Winfrey’s show, such as Suze Orman and Dr. Oz, surface in a special called Ask Oprah’s All Stars, while Dr. Phil McGraw’s syndicated show airs in reruns at 8 a.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.oprah winfrey network
Winfrey herself shows up in a 25-episode unscripted show recapping her syndicated program’s final season (Oprah Behind the Scenes); a series with celebrities detailing their life lessons (Masterclass); and her reality competition show featuring contestants vying to host a series on the channel (Your OWN Show). “I still wonder: Can the Oprah universe work without that show?”
Can Winfrey, admittedly the more powerful brand, do better?
The talk show queen tells Parade.com that she all but begged former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson to stay away from reality television when plotting her comeback, mainly “Dancing With the Stars,” according to the New York Post.Winfrey offered Fergie a comeback opportunity with a six-part documentary “Master Class: Finding Sarah” on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
