Although no one seriously doubts Oprah Winfrey’s business intuition and ability, her recent hiring moves might raise some eyebrows for some, making them wonder if a Winfrey – Rosey O’Donnell team is the best possible choice. The world renowned TV megastar has decided to leave broadcast television and move on to cable with a brand new channel called the Oprah Winfrey Network or OWN and started to get a team ready to power it and get it ready to go.
After making this rather shocking announcement, Oprah went on to hire Rosie O’Donnell to do a daily talk show. O’Donnel, a declared and active liberal, has left “The View” after a series of comments which offended a large part of her audience and drove them away. She stated that September 11 was an inside job and that fundamentalist Christianity is as dangerous as fundamentalist Islam. She then tried to move on for a variety program on NBC which was shut down after just one series due to poor ratings.
Adding this to the fact that only 20% of Americans are liberal, O’Donnell’s beliefs can hardly prove enough to power a daily talk show hosted by a comedian expected to make people feel good, the smart business tactics behind Oprah’s hiring decisions seems rather shady. Percentages tend to drive audiences, and previous experiences in the TV and entertainment industry prove it: David Letterman’s coming out as a liberal set his ratings of free fall. Yet Comedy Central seems to be the exception, as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert still have amazingly well received shows.
The Oprah Winfrey Network will either have to deal with negative PR caused by O’Donnell’s views which some feel are radical, while revenue will be dragged down by her lack of attracting a large enough audience, or will benefit tremendously from Oprah Winfrey’s already strong image which boosts any endorsement she ever makes. Her vouching for Rosie O’Donnell might bring her back into the public’s graces, just as her support for Barack Obama has brought the current US President a spike of voters who happened to be Oprah Winfrey fans.
What do you think, who’s brand and public image will weigh more in the future of the Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah’s or Rosie O’Donnel’s?
About Alina Popescu
Neither one. I honestly don’t think a network can run on the fumes of a celebrity-crazed talk show diva and a fanatical terrorist-loving nutcase alone. I hope people boycott the whole mess!