With the network’s poor performance thus far, Oprah may want to reconsider the “format” she feels “fits” OWN, and take a chance on the soaps. With her recent high profile Sunday evening interviews, I am sure more people now know where OWN is on their cable stations, but I think it will take a lot more than that to pick up the needed ratings. I say bring on the soaps, and boy will there be many happy new viewers.

I think Oprah is looking out not putting the soaps on her network because it doesn’t fit in is that she isn’t seeing it from a fans point of view. Even thought some of the stories are not real life , there are still some stories that are definitely like real life . Just like her helping people to solve their problems. She is entertainingj just like the actors and actress on a soap. She helps people and the soaps also, help people. So why doesn’t she see that the both shows can help people. That is what she wants… Read more »

I think a more traditional approach to programming would help. Acquire something exclusive in the rerun department (not GOLDEN GIRLS, FRASIER, BIG BANG or RAYMOND!) that has some special appeal… acquire something unique lost on other webs (say cancelled daytime dramas)… avoid the trap of making it all about one personality (say the CEO)… steer clear of lame reality shows (avoid the Oxygen model)… work to get better exposure on cable systems…

30 employees…..maybe they’ll find a car under the envelope of their last paycheck. I will never forgive Oprahs uncharitable remarks about the soaps. She could have guaranteed herself a multigenerational audience, instead, she kicked us under the very same curb her 30 employees are now sitting on .

Maybe if Miss Oprah had gotten down off her high horse and put AMC and OLTL on her network instead of shows that stink, she might have some viewers.

This was predicted when Martha Stewart’s show was canceled by Hallmark.

That being said, what comes around, goes around, Oprah, Disney, et al.

By the way, did anyone hear that Disney lost 200 million on John Carter. Perhaps we soap fans ARE sticking together and boycotting after all.

Everyone one has their ups and downs in life, and Oprah is no different. If it wasn’t this, it would of been something else. It’s just a reminder to us that she too, is human. Every business has it’s challenges, the first year of business, and once again, Oprah is no different. Therefore there is no need for the Oprah bashing, “she should have picked up the soaps “, and the recanting of that noise. She has earned the right to make her own dicisions rather we agree with it or not. She has come through for people in life… Read more »

SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE, OPES, AND PICK UP A SOAP. JUST LIKE NICKELODEON DOES HOT IN CLEVELAND. BRING ALL THE ACTORS BACK AND PRODUCE IT IN NYC. You can even name it after yourself, we don’t care. You’ll be a hero.

Redemption, honey. Redemption shall be yours. Promise.

Haha. She should have taken the soaps when they were offered to her.
That is all I have to say on this subject.

Hey… I know a wonderful show that was averaging 2.5 million plus viewers, 5 days a week… “ONE LIFE TO LIVE” !!!

Yet no network seems to want it.

I don’t watch her network and have no suggestions. Interesting, but about a year ago, we were reaching out to her to help save AMC & OLTL and she couldn’t be bothered. Payback is a bitch and she has been slapped!!! All the best to Ms. Winfrey!

She should have welcomed ABC’s cancelled soaps. Karma.

Quote : The soaps do not fit the own channel format (HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM) What is doing now isn’t doing well at all…. I am not interested in any of the programs she puts on her own channel….I looked at what was on her channel one day & there was nothing of interest what so ever.. Not my cup of tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder why her channel is BOMBING????????? Not putting on the right sort of programs viewers would be interested in…Not interested in watching her friend Gail on her cable channel… As i said there is nothing of interest to watch.. Don’t… Read more »

Oprah made a huge mistake saying no to AMC & OLTL. Just think what an additional 2.5 million viewers each day would have done for her network. Since she said no to the soap fans I don’t care what she airs. I won’t watch OWN.

Read an article on her site and it sais: stay tuned Oprah is about to stage a TCA press tour and face a roomful of critics….. It said her show has had a deep decline in the ratings. Rival channels like Oxygen , WE mostly close the gap(with lifetime remaining in front)………………. I know what could solve this problem “The Soaps.” But it will not happen…But could sure solve her ratings problem on her OWN CHANNEL………

At this point, a test pattern would get better ratings than OWN. If she laid out some of her billions for reruns of, say, SANTA BARBARA or ANOTHER WORLD she’d at least get to the one-million viewer mark.

I’m sorry but I’m with 1loveabcsoaps on that one. I’m not going to take part of the Oprah-bashing on this website. It is not Oprah’s responsability to pick up ABC’s discarded soaps. And nothing proves that the soaps would have succedeed on her network anyway. Oprah is a wonderful woman and it’s her right to not wanting soaps that were cancelled by another network. If people wants to make fun of her because of her decision, then so be it. But I won’t be part of it. And in case you guys didn’t know, ALL cable networks (not just OWN)… Read more »

I feel that the problem is the lack of variety within the programing. Almost all the programs that air are reality shows about life.

PBS has strong ratings because it airs a variety of programming including comedies (Keeping Up Appearances), dramas (Downtown Abbey), news (PBS Newshour), documentaries (Prohibition), and reality programs (Antique Roadshow). If Oprah did something like that and added a bit more variety to her programming, she might be successful.

But as Carolyn Hinsey says, it’s only my opinion.

I don’t like Oprah Winfrey. Oh well, she likes herself enough for all of us.

Get the soaps! Have a “soap block” of time every day-from noon till 3 or 4, or anytime really-whether you revamp AMC & OLTL (I pray to God) and/or rerun shows like Santa Barbara, Another World, GL, ATWT, there should be many choices, people would love this! Oprah would be a hero. Knots Landing, Falconcrest-get some soaps going on OWN. Forget Dr. Phil reruns from 2008. And running the same shows over & over & over. Have a mix, soaps, talk, food, movies!

I can’t dispute that Oprah has done SO MUCH for SO MANY people–if it hadn’t been for her show, I never would have know about Debbie Ford, and Debbie’s first couple books were a life saver for me. That said, Oprah’s comments re: soaps really turned me off. I don’t blame her for not taking in AMC and/or OLTL, but I think she could have worded her rejection of the idea a bit better.

I don’t feel bad for Oprah. Sher got exactly what she deserves! She didn’t want to buy the rights to amc and oltl so alot of fans stayed away from her network. (I know I did) I don’t care how low she stoops to get ratings (ie; Boobie Kristina) she now ruins a tabloid network is how I feel. She turned her back on the MILLIONS of fans who made her. Does she really think she would have achevied the fame she did IF the soaps werent her lead in? I think not! She goes and hires Rosie O’Donnell! After… Read more »

Oprah forgot about the daytime fans who made her what she is today and rich too. The fans giveth and the fans taketh away. Sorry Oprah never watched your network.