Oprah Winfrey Network Sets Deal With Comcast

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Sam Schechner and Christopher S. Stewart

[abb]

Oprah Winfrey's cable channel struck a distribution deal with Comcast Corp., lifting the number of homes in which the network can be seen, according to people familiar with the situation. Related Video

As a result of the deal, 17 million Comcast subscribers will be able to watch the network, known as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, up from about 14 million currently. Comcast had 22.3 million video subscribers on Dec. 31. Overall, OWN will be in 83 million homes, up from 80 million, people close to channel said.

Comcast also agreed to begin paying subscriber fees for the channel at the start of next year, the people familiar with the situation said. The cable operator currently carries the channel without paying subscriber fees.

The agreement is good news for OWN, which has grappled with management turmoil, cost overruns, and concern about its ratings—despite a recent boost from the premiere of Ms. Winfrey's own show on the channel in January. The network is jointly owned by Ms. Winfrey and Discovery Communications Inc.

Two weeks ago, the network said it would cut 30 jobs as part of a cost-cutting measure, under which it said it would outsource many operations to Discovery and Ms. Winfrey's Harpo Inc.

Boosting OWN's anemic subscription fees is a central priority for the network. Fees from cable and satellite operators often account for at least half the revenue of many cable networks and are a reason why they are so profitable. By contrast, OWN didn't initially earn subscription revenue from its distributors when it went on air early last year, people close to the channel said.

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[abb]

Yet another affirmative action payoff in return for the FCC's blessing of the Comcast/NBC merger.

[abb]

ping

[GeronL]

Comcast also agreed to begin paying subscriber fees for the channel at the start of next year

If it still exists

[Secret Agent Man]

Are more people clamoring for “suck” on their cable subscriptions?

[Anti-Bubba182]

Affirmative action payoff, exactly. Only this one is played in the boardrooms and not on the streets. Own is a disaster financially but no one dares fire Oprah’s network, but they can’t make people watch.

[Freddd]

‘OWN will be in 83 million homes’-————

What does it matter if it’s ‘available’ to 83 million if 82.5 don’t want to watch?

Nonsense headlines to get publicity.

Even bad publicity is better than no publicity.

Too bad Oprah, we see you. We don’t like what we see.

[Chode]

will peoples bill go up cause of this now???

[Ken H]

Yet another affirmative action payoff in return for the FCC's blessing of the Comcast/NBC merger.

Where's my 'hammer hits nail on the head' icon?

[abb]

Comcast also agreed to begin paying subscriber fees for the channel at the start of next year, the people familiar with the situation said.

Yes. Sort of a cable version of reparations, it seems.

[bigheadfred]

83 million homes? And MINE isn’t one of them?????

There IS a God.

[cableguymn]

Sadly, I am a comcrap customer. If you want speed and tv, it’s the only choice here.

However. I know how to block channels on my equiptment so I don’t have to be bothered with CNN, MSNBC and now Own..

Won’t even see um on my channel guide.

why comcrap would pay for a channel with such low ratings is beyond me.

[RightGeek]

Are more people clamoring for “suck” on their cable subscriptions?

Best line of the day. I bet folks can't wait to pay for another channel they won't watch.

[bigheadfred]

Well, I have basic cable. Part of the phone, internet, tv package I signed up for. Apparently, if they have Oprah, it is a “premium” channel. LOL spit

[abb]

Because it is required as part of the original deal.

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/01/18/comcast-nbc-merger-read-the-fcc-approval-letter/

Protecting Diversity, Localism, Broadcast and Other Public Interest Concerns. The Commission is also imposing conditions and accepting voluntary commitments concerning a numbers of other public interest issues, including diversity, localism, and broadcasting, among others. For example, to protect the integrity of over-the-air broadcasting, network-affiliate relations, and fair and equitable retransmission consent negotiations with the joint venture, the Commission adopts a series of conditions that were independently negotiated between the Applicants and various network affiliates.

[EyeGuy]

Wider availability won’t necessrily mean more viewers.

Racist Orca and her stable of dykes could be the ONLY channel in my house and I still wouldn’t watch her cultural equivalence propaganda.

[SevenofNine]

I try watch OWN network few months ago couldn’t they could drop the channel or replace with Deadliest Catch reruns that going happen probably next replace it with Deadliest Catch Flying Wild Alaska turn into travel channel

[SevenofNine]

You not missing much they only show new age movies and new age teachers they try promote BUT FAIL big time Rosie O’Fat show that was horrid show to watch IT SUCKS

[suthener]

And that is why I cancelled my Dish subscription about two years ago. I refuse to support channels that are directly opposed to my own philosophy (MSNBC, CNN, LOGO, etc. etc.).

[jimbo123]

Yet another affirmative action payoff in return for the FCC's blessing of the Comcast/NBC merger.

Bears repeating.

[Noob1999]

I’m so offended that I would have had to pay to get algore’s current channel.

But now that that A-Hole Olberman was shit-canned, and replaced by the whore-monger Eliot Spitzer, maybe I don’t need to pick up that premium channel anyway.

Maybe, next month’s CPI index will decrease because so many people will cancel their subscription to the current channel.