Wednesday
Jan162008
The Cavalry is coming: Oprah is starting a new cable network!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 5:47AM The Blogmother 
By Shecodes, WAOD ContributorLet the Battle of the Billionaires begin!
Most of us who have been talking about media ownership and the portrayal of Black women need to be seriously high-fiving today. The Black Media Queen has made her move!
“In an unprecedented deal, Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced plans today to create OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. The new multi-platform media venture will be designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut in 2009 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture will also include the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com.”
I don’t watch her show, but Oprah is DEFINITELY my kind of woman. Homegirl thinks BIG… and is a master strategist. She flicks away the beef industry, and steamrolls over a bevy of critics and TAKES what she wants. I ain’t mad at the sister!
“OWN's mission is to create multiple platforms for women, men and their families with a purpose and a passion: to celebrate life, to inspire and entertain, empowering viewers around the world to live their best lives, and by doing so, lift the lives of those around them in ever-widening circles.”
“In addition to providing her talent, and personal commitment, Winfrey will have full editorial control over the joint venture and will be responsible for OWN's programming, branding and creative vision.” SOURCE
While this channel is going to be for people of all races, I have a serious feeling that there will be a strong showing of positive black women appearing on this network.
Haters beware! You done made Celie mad and now she’s coming after your market share. And to all of those whining, sniveling hip hop artists who were cracking her because she wouldn’t allow them to peddle their minstrelsy on her talk show, Oprah says:
TALK TO THE HAND, BABY!!BWWAHAHAHA.... Somehow I don’t think that Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” is going to be in heavy rotation! Gyrating video vixens looking for the next degrading job? Ummmm, don’t think so.
And I don’t think that Bob “Beelzebub” Johnson will be sending her congratulatory flowers either!! (evil laugh).
I’m not gonna lie. This new move, among a couple of other things, have made me think much more seriously about voting for Barack Obama. One of my primary concerns is the collective image and reputation of Black women, so I am very interested in what alliances are being made in this election. While I have already decided that I will not publicly endorse any candidate, I will simply present the facts as a I know them best.
So here are the facts for those of you who are concerned about stereotypes on television:
DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS….
Don't forget to like our Facebook Page. We shut down our NING network. My book More Than Words is now available for download for $3.99 | 24 Comments | Share Article
24 Comments | Share Article tagged Uncategorized in Uncategorized
Uncategorized in Uncategorized
Reader Comments (24)
That is one powerful woman!!!
What took her so long? I have been hoping for this for years.
Anyway... great news.
I doubt however that she will be competing for the same market that Black Exploitation Television currently has a stranglehold on.
But perhaps she will be able to put together a strong enough mix that it can become an alternative for at least some people.
I am still mad about BFC not making it...and never really being given a chance because it couldn't get into enough homes. They were locked out of the market by BET. (That's where Cable choice comes in).
I'd love to see some sort of Oprah/Cathy Hughes alliance to challenge the wicked witch of BET...and her supporters at Viacom.
WOW That media alliances graphic is off the chain. When obama alligns himself with a Black billionaire its Oprah-When Clinton does her aligning, it is with Bob Johnson.
I how the channel does well. I have always said and continue to say that BET is BET because it was first and for a long time, the only. They can't even compete when it comes to original programming. Everything is a knock off of MTV. Sure they have "American Gangster" aka "Eyes on the Prize for Thugs"
Oprah finally has a chance to put a positive face on the air for black women (hell, women in general).
I hope she doesn't fuck it up!
Ooh... SheCodes, I sent that graphic to my Mother...
Hey Angry Independent,
I agree that OWN is not a direct competition for market viewership of a certain group of people -- but will quite possibly be a threat in terms of market share.
At any rate, Oprah may still become a serious threat to them in other ways, if Obama becomes president.
I look for 3 things when choosing a president:
1 Their fundamental principles about government, and the policy that comes out of that
2 Their advisors
3 Where their money is coming from
I am currently looking for the media alliances made by all of the other candidates-- I believe that Rupert Murdoch has put serious cash in at least two Republican candidates... but I have to check my sources.
Don't know about Edwards yet (he might not have made any... which could be better than hooking up with a media titan)
Didn't Oprah used to own the Oxygen network? I love Oprah Lawds knows I do, but if its anything like her current TV show, radio show or magazine the only black woman she will be representing is herself.
I believe that she still owns Oxygen. When it first started it, I believe that she gave her BFF Gail a show on it and honeychile went down in flames.
But while Oxygen might not be 'black girl central' onscreen, it has quite a few black women in executive positions, as well as general staff.
SheCodes, Rupert Murdoch has historically contributed to the leading Republican Presidential candidates and has incorporated several PACs to skirt FEC rules regarding campaign contributuions.
In fact, during the elections of both Bush administartions, FOXNews all but sired Bush the new king of America. As a result, the Republican party resurrected itself and made this most recent ascension to power under Bush.
I mean, Newt and other had started it during the first Clinton Administration, but it was ultimately Bush and his alliances with media moguls like Rupert that helped him frame his brand of conservatism.
I need to log on as BlkSeaGoat... not everyone knows my government name yet... *LOL*
BTW,
Shecodes, can we make T-Shirts out of your Alliance graphic?
I'll be the first to subscribe or cal;l the cable co. if they don't have it when this rolls out. I will support the network strictly out of the need for an alternative. The market share question is irrelevant when you look at other channels on cable who clearly aren't concerned with trying to compete with MTV,E!, VH1, or FOX. The Discovery channels, LOGO, and Ovation haven't crumbled and neither will OWN.
@ shecodes and shane
Ruport Murdoch endorsed hillary back in 2006. Not only did he endorse her, but he hosted a fundraiser for her, in preperation for her 2008 run. I remember when it all went down.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/09/politics/main1600694.shtml
As for Oprah, nothing she does surprises me anymore. She is truly a master at media! I look forward to watching her station.
Props to Oprah. BET & OWN will be targeting different demographics but OWN shouldn't fail. There's only so much Blk tail & thuggery that a woman can stand these days.
That was a great side-by-side pic of Obama/Oprah & Billary/Beezlebub, LOL!
Shane, I would prefer if you didn't re-use that picture. I have made a conscious decision not to endorse any candidate, but to lay the facts on the table as I know them.
I have equally serious concerns about Barack Obama, and while he is still on my list of possibilities, I'm not willing to endorse him until he rectifies those issues.
One of those serious issues is the rampant problem of statutory rape in the African American community.
The sexual exploitation of young black girls has caused indescribable pain, disease, pregnancy and mental health issues for black women.
As far as Barack is concerned, he is on the wrong side of that legislative issue -- which is why I shall refrain from publicly endorsing him.
__________________________
@Rashawn, Gayle King's show wasn't on Oxygen, it was on some regular network show... maybe ABC
__________________________
Iman,
People like Rupert Murdoch offer money to ALL candidates, to ensure that they have a finger in the pie no matter who is elected. So the question is who HASN'T taken his money... and trust, I WILL find out! ;-)
@ SheCodes
Gayle did have a failed show on Oxygen. When I interned there, it was going into cancellation.
Thanks for the 411, jerseybred... I'm glad you like the picture. I was laughing maniacally the whole time I was making it.
I am still mad about BFC not making it...and never really being given a chance because it couldn't get into enough homes. They were locked out of the market by BET. (That's where Cable choice comes in).
Wasn't there someone else who wanted to do a network? I think it was a black athlete...
Oprah was only an investor in Oxygen, she will be the founder and owner of OWN.
How come TV One was able to do more in its first 30 days on the air than BET has done in the past 5years? BFC was just boring that why it didn't last, TV One is still not in a lot of markets
I still get chitterling eating nuances from TV One too. G. Garvin is completely irritating and his ghetto "swagger" gets on my nerves. I am looking forward to Oprah's Venture.
Nuff said!
Just reading that post is empowering. Beautifully put She-codes :) I have a renewed sense of pride. I can't wait!
Oprah's plan of world domination continues. This isn't a bad thing considering she has more morals in her pinky than Bob Johnson has in his whole body. So, I applaud her launch of OWN.
Now, I'm tempted to renew my cable subscription after dropping it due to lousy programming, e.g., BET.
Before I forget, columnist Courtland Milloy (Washington Post) comments on the tragic irony of BET killing its news division a few years before Obama would begin his run for president:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503239.html
I am still mad about BFC not making it...and never really being given a chance because it couldn't get into enough homes. They were locked out of the market by BET. (That's where Cable choice comes in).
Shecodes:
Wasn't there someone else who wanted to do a network? I think it was a black athlete...
_________________
I believe you might be thinking about BFC - The Black Family Channel, which folded last year.
You can go to my blog and do a search for "Black Family Channel".
The partners in that venture were atty Willie Gary, Cecil Fielder (baseball player), Evander Holyfield, & Marlon Jackson.
Robert Townsend was Pres... or Vice Pres...
I haven't heard of any other athletes having a network.