Wednesdays alarming story – Oprah Winfrey launches her OWN cable network

She provided a hearty wrap-up of the live-your-best-life fare she will curate across the network’s schedule.

OWN will initially be available in more than 80 million homes. Instead of launching OWN with the 25th season of Oprah: Behind the Scenes – which probably would have been the best way to immediately capture viewers – we got a pretty dull look at Hank, an obviously likable and well-meaning guy from Santa Monica, Calif., who bums out his family whenever he travels for work (which, apparently, is every freaking week). With the addition this week of Cablevision Systems Corp. , about 85 million homes will be able to see the daytime television queen’s new network. In comparison, there are about 115.9 million television households, according to Nielsen Co., and the largest networks, like the … She wants her new block of original programming to serve a purpose in your life. All for the best, I guess?) At least OWN’s first show seemed to attract some pretty impressive advertisers, like Procter & Gamble, Swiffer and a pregnancy test, though the site of the artificially-enhanced Suzanne Somers for sexyforever.com was more than a little frightening.

But so far, there are a few docu-series that seem like they could be a tad misguided in the inadvertently hilarious way. Though she says it’s too early to tell whether OWN will drive up Comcast subscriptions, Halprin feels there’s buzz about the channel that will build after today’s launch. Shows like “In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman,” a cartoonishly awkward sex rehab program for middle-aged couples.

We haven’t seen an episode, per se, but if Oprah’s extended preview is telling, it could become required viewing. For viewers both men and women I think they’re about to be blown away.” Others, however, are wondering whether OWN is just another cable network that will get lost in the channel-surfing shuffle. As of 2007, her net worth was over $1.5 billion. The startup cost for the network, which was originally announced three years ago, has ballooned to a reported $189 million. In June, Winfrey ends her wildly successful weekday syndicated show after 25 years.

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