TV Superstar Oprah Winfrey is known for being quick to jump on the latest pop culture trend.But, with the debut of her very own cable network, OWN (for the Oprah Winfrey Network), it is clear that she is also abundantly patient with the things that matter to her most.The idea reportedly first came to her back in 1992, when she jotted a memo in her private journal about the possibility of someday having her own network.
On Saturday, New Year’s Day, that dream finally comes true.
Beginning at noon Saturday, OWN – a joint venture between Winfrey and the Discovery network that replaces the Discovery Health Channel – will roll out a sneak preview of upcoming shows.
“This is not about creating Oprah TV,” says OWN CEO Christina Norman, the former MTV president. She is deeply involved in launching the initial shows, Ms. Norman acknowledges, she hand-picked the first eight choices for the “Master Class” interviews. But, she adds, the purpose of the network is to take the vision Winfrey has espoused for a quarter of a century on her syndicated TV program and in her magazine and expand that into a full schedule.
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