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OWN 'Not Panicking' After Lackluster 'Rosie' Launch, Needs a Hit Soon (Dinosaur Media DeathWatchâ„¢)
Fox News ^ | October 18, 2011 | Meaghan Murphy

Posted on 10/19/2011 10:17:00 AM PDT by abb

Rosie O’Donnell is not exactly the savior Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network was hoping for.

Despite appearing on the cover of Winfrey’s O magazine and constant promotion on the Discovery Channel network, the October 10 premiere of “The Rosie Show” on OWN produced less than half a million viewers, while “Oprah’s Lifeclass” did even worse, attracting just 333,000 viewers.

And both shows lost viewers the night after their premieres, with “The Rosie Show” dropping more than 36 percent, to 317,000 viewers the following Tuesday, while “Oprah’s Lifeclass,” also dropped to just 279,000 viewers.

But even with the lackluster ratings, OWN execs aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.

“The strategy is that they are giving themselves five years to have a hit,” a source close to OWN told FoxNews.com. “There’s no real panic, but if there’s no hit in five years, they’re pulling the plug. The numbers are bad–really bad. For the people who claim to be the best team in television, they just don’t seem to be able to handle it.”

A rep for Discovery Communications took issue with the five-year plan claim, and says that Discovery is standing by Winfrey and OWN for the long haul.

“The five year timeline is not accurate,” David C. Leavy, Discovery Communications’ chief spokesperson, tells FoxNews.com. “Discovery is a very patient investor and someone who builds cable networks for a living. It just takes time. We’re very pleased with where the network is, we’re very pleased with ‘Rosie’ and ‘Lifeclass.’"

Another insider agrees that OWN is here to stay for the time being.

“It’s rare for a channel to launch and then just, quote, ‘pull the plug,’” a top cable network executive told FoxNews.com. “They'll give a channel a certain amount of time, and then they’ll rebrand it.

snip

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: advertising; boycottoprah; dbm; fail; hollywood; orca; television
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Freak shows just don't sell like they used to...
1 posted on 10/19/2011 10:17:07 AM PDT by abb
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To: 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Caipirabob; carmenbmw; ...

ping


2 posted on 10/19/2011 10:18:31 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/10/hollywood-unions-networks-and-studios-mount-anti-piracy-offensive-.html
Hollywood unions, networks and studios mount anti-piracy offensive

http://news.yahoo.com/viacom-ny-court-scrap-youtube-copyright-ruling-175721497.html
Viacom to NY court: Scrap YouTube copyright ruling

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/475466-Media_General_Broadcast_Revenue_Down_13_.php
Media General Broadcast Revenue Down 13%

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/160730/cable-operators-who-once-railed-about-a-la-carte.html
Cable Operators, Who Once Railed About A La Carte Programming, May Need To Go On A Diet


3 posted on 10/19/2011 10:20:56 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

OWN????

Occupy Wall-Street Network?


4 posted on 10/19/2011 10:21:14 AM PDT by PGR88 (I'm so open-minded my brains fell out)
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To: abb

I saw a commercial for her new show. I thought it was a joke at first.


5 posted on 10/19/2011 10:22:22 AM PDT by ColdOne (I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11)
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To: abb

Maybe they’d do better if they changed the titles to ‘Chicago Shore’ and ‘Law and Order:The Insanity Files’?


6 posted on 10/19/2011 10:22:37 AM PDT by BelegStrongbow (St. Joseph, patron of fathers, pray for us!)
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To: abb

Hows that ‘Change’ working out fer ya there Oprahma? With THE ONE as president your world should be flying on wings at this point. Wha’’happened?


7 posted on 10/19/2011 10:22:54 AM PDT by tflabo (Restore the Republic)
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To: BelegStrongbow

LOL - good one!


8 posted on 10/19/2011 10:24:12 AM PDT by Tax-chick (You could be a monthly donor, too. It's easy!)
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To: abb

Ugly left wing dykes probably only appeal to ugly left wing dykes, and that is probably not a very large audience.


9 posted on 10/19/2011 10:24:31 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS DESTROYING AMERICA-LOOK AT WHAT IT DID TO THE WHITE HOUSE!)
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To: tflabo

Lifeclass is “Lifeless”.


10 posted on 10/19/2011 10:24:39 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: abb
What's not to love?

REUTERS

11 posted on 10/19/2011 10:26:32 AM PDT by maggief
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To: abb

Rosie = waste of space and air

OWN = another Obam-bot’s epic fail


12 posted on 10/19/2011 10:26:47 AM PDT by matginzac
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To: abb

All the soccer moms and gay dudes are mad at Oafrah for pushing Barack Insane Obama on them.


13 posted on 10/19/2011 10:27:27 AM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Mark Halperin - Learned the hard way what happens when you speak the truth on PMSNBC.)
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To: abb
Rosie O’Donnell is not exactly the savior Oprah Winfrey’s OWN cable network was hoping for.

I wonder what EVER made ANYONE think that Rosie O'Donnell could EVER be the "savior" of ANYTHING - apart from her own fat a$$.

14 posted on 10/19/2011 10:27:38 AM PDT by WayneS (Comments now include 25% more sarcasm at NO additional charge.)
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To: abb
Another insider agrees that OWN is here to stay for the time being.

Wow. That'd certainly instill confidence in me if I was an employee of that network..

15 posted on 10/19/2011 10:29:26 AM PDT by WayneS (Comments now include 25% more sarcasm at NO additional charge.)
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To: abb

>>> The numbers are bad–really bad. For the people who claim to be the best team in television

The numbers almost have to be bad compared to what they had before. OWN is on the high tier cable packages, the ones you have to pay the most extra to receive. Therefore the tier with the least visibility and fewest potential viewers.

Bad economy means people are cutting back by cancelling these higher tiers, not adding them. If she HAD to leave over-the-air broadcasting, Oprah should have gone with basic cable.


16 posted on 10/19/2011 10:31:01 AM PDT by tlb
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To: maggief

HORK! you owe me a..HORK!HORK!HOOOOAARK! *a little water please...and a mop*


17 posted on 10/19/2011 10:32:47 AM PDT by Rinnwald
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To: abb

Rosie, said on “The View” once that “steel doesn’t melt.”

She and panel were discussing the attack on the World Trade Center towers.

Tell that to the steelers in Pittsburgh, meathead.


18 posted on 10/19/2011 10:32:54 AM PDT by RexBeach (There is no such thing as a good tax - Winston Churchill)
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To: maggief
To quote Jim Croce:


And the roller derby program said
That she was built like a 'fridgerator with a head

19 posted on 10/19/2011 10:33:17 AM PDT by ConservaTexan (February 6, 1911)
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To: massgopguy

According to the low standards set by the OWS mob doesn’t Oprah qualify as a greedy, rich corporatist? Does Oprah pay her ‘fair share’ of taxes or is she getting rich off of the Bush tax cuts? Shouldn’t she redistribute her wealth so the OWS crowd can have their needs supplied?


20 posted on 10/19/2011 10:33:29 AM PDT by tflabo (Restore the Republic)
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