Update: Struggling Oprah Winfrey Network lays off one-fifth of staff, restructures NY, LA operations

Associated Press ^ | 3/19/12 | Associated Press

[jimbo123]

Oprah Winfrey’s struggling television network, OWN, said Monday it is laying off one-fifth of its workers and restructuring its operations in New York and Los Angeles.

The decision to let 30 employees go is a “tough” one, but the economics of a start-up cable network didn’t fit with OWN’s cost structure, Winfrey said in a statement.

“As CEO, I have a responsibility to chart the course for long-term success for the network. To wholly achieve that long-term success, this was a necessary next step,” Winfrey said.

[jimbo123]

Oprah the CEO releases a statement.

[Doogle]

*sniff sniff*

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Bail Out!!!

[jessduntno]

If it doesn’t work out, she’ll go back to her 125 million dollar Montecito mansion and sulk...

[unixfox]

Guess she will blame it on Bush, the Tea Party, or just all of those angry white males.

[SamAdams76]

Looks like the Occupy crowd have a new target - another example of the 1% (Oprah) oppressing the 99% (the people she so cruelly laid off).

It's Oprah's fault!

[bigbob]

Suspect George W. Bush drove her network into the ditch, then inherited it to her...

Obviously this cannot be HER fault, any more than anything is Obamas fault.

Wait for the bailout.

[doc1019]

That was my thought. Why doesn’t she ask her friend Obama to bail her out? After all Oprah is too big to fail ... whoops, I mean her network. Sure he would be more than willing to spend our taxpayer dollars to help another friend.

[gov_bean_ counter]

She was a lot more popular when she was giving out unsolicited advice about matters other than politics.

[bray]

At least she still has all those cheap Properties she bought for the Olympics.

Pray for America

[rabidralph]

She has to pay them a living wage! She is as greedy as any white male CEO!/sarc

[Las Vegas Ron]

Bail Out!!!

Too big to fail....

[Jack Hydrazine]

She first dis-OWNed Rosie and now she’s dis-OWNing her employees. I thought she was a billionaire. She has plenty of her own money to bleed through but I bet she’ll put out her hand to bum for a bailout!

[jimbo123]

Socialists are only socialists with other people’s money.

[DManA]

She was smart enough to make a $billion but stupid enough to start this ridiculous network. Go figure.

[stars & stripes forever]

Go figure.

It's all about the O.

[mriguy67]

When she started the Obama love fest, thats when her ratings went to pot

[JaguarXKE]

Why doesn’t she ask her friend Obama to bail her out?

Well exactly! After all, if ever something was "too big to fail." /sarc

[KGeorge]

Yep. Very telling, this little development.
Can you say Backlash?
I knew you could.

[avenir]

There is a line between Beloved Entertainer and Just Another Arse With An Opinion that is only crossed at peril.