[Posted Jan. 23, 2008]

Oprah And Discovery
Channel In Partnership

NEW YORK—She owns her own publishing company, has a highly regarded national talk show, production company and her endorsements of products and political candidates carry some weight.  Now she has her own TV Network.   
      OWN—for Oprah Winfrey Network—will debut next year in nearly 70 million homes with cable and satellite, part of a deal announced with Discovery Communications. It will replace the Discovery Health network.
      The announcement builds a media empire that already includes the top-rated TV talk show, a magazine, a satellite radio network, a Web site and TV movies made under her banner.
     "This is an evolution of what I've been able to do every day," Winfrey said. "I will now have the opportunity to do this 24 hours a day on a platform that goes on forever."
      She will be chairwoman of the network, owned 50-50 by Discovery and her company, Harpo Productions Inc. In return for taking over a network already operated by Discovery, Winfrey gives half ownership of the Oprah.com Web site.

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