Oprah Winfrey's OWN Continues Ratings Struggle
Jun 3, 2011
by Rich Juzwiak


Oprah Winfrey's six-month-old network OWN was down 24% in adult viewership in May, compared to the May 2010 ratings of Discovery Health, which OWN replaced, according to TVbytheNumbers.




Its numbers were down in demographics versus Discovery Health's May '10 ratings across the board.

In women aged 18-34, the drop was 24%.

In women aged 18-49, the drop was 19%.

In women aged 24-54, likely its target demo, it was down 17%.

In adults aged 18-49, it was down a whopping 30%.







Almost from the time of its January 1 debut, OWN has struggled to even match the Discovery Health numbers. Winfrey herself has acknowledged the low ratings, describing the network as "not where I want it to be" in an interview with Entertainment Weekly last month.

However, she also acknowledged the time needed to foster a network, citing advice she received from her friend and "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels: "Don't judge OWN until after three years."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Oprah-Winfrey-OWN-Ratings-1033891.aspx

...but she can't wait "three years" until her audience vanishes completely (and they will, if the tally in ratings and demographics continue to decline).

The way I see it, Oprah went into this venture figuring, "All I have to do is show up once in a while, and everything will be okay". It takes a lot of patience and dilligence to program a cable network...and she really hasn't been paying much attention to it. Now that her daily syndicated program has ended, she has plenty of time to figure out what "works", and what doesn't. If I were her {and why would I want to?}, I'd find a programming executive who knows what women want to see on OWN. Better yet, I'd ask viewers what they'd like to see more of.

And limiting Gayle King's presence to only ONCE a day, five days a week, wouldn't be such a bad idea, either.


:tv:

Do you ever get that strange feeling that you are being watched ?
Oprah does'nt.

Get some female-friendly syndicated dramas and comedies? Not the direction OWN was planning... sure, but it might help.

She should try a 24 hour test pattern,she'd get more viewers,as long as the test pattern in not a picture of her.That would scare to many people