Oprah Winfrey preparing OWN ahead of New Year’s Day launch

By Sean O’Connell Hollywoodnews.com: Oprah Winfrey’s media empire is about to expand … again. Winfrey will launch her latest endeavor, The Oprah Winfrey Network (or OWN), on Saturday, and you’ll be able to witness the launch if you receive the Discovery Health Channel on your cable provider. It is estimated that 85 million homes will be able to see Winfrey’s new network once it takes over what was once Discovery Health, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The tricky part, especially if the new network proves popular, will be when cable or satellite companies’ existing contracts with Discovery Communications Inc. expire,” the WSJ reports. “Discovery and Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. production company each own half of the new network, and the goal is to secure significantly higher monthly fees and advertising revenue than Discovery Health currently receives.” Negotiations are ongoing with cable providers like Time Warner Cable and Mediacom to carry Oprah’s new network. Others like satellite-television providers, like Dish Network, carry Discovery Health but “still need to hammer out a new deal for OWN,” says the WSJ. What will you see on OWN? The network plans to air more than 20 original series next year. It will carry prime-time talk specials and celebrity programs. A new year means a new endeavor for Oprah. Will you tune in? Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information. Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News Photo courtesy of PRPhotos.com.