The legacy of Miss Winfrey does not stop there, however.
On January 15, 2008, Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications announced plans to create OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. With seventy million households within its reach, OWN is set to debut in 2009, with programming designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives.
Oprah Winfrey will serve as OWN’s chairwoman and have total creative control of the network’s future programming. In a statement released on Oprah.com, Winfrey made an interesting disclosure: "Fifteen years ago, I wrote in my journal that one day I would create a television network, as I always felt my show was just the beginning of what the future could hold. For me, the launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network is the evolution of the work I've been doing on television all these years and a natural extension of my show." The press release had comments from David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, as well: "There is no stronger voice than Oprah Winfrey in engaging, motivating and connecting people to live healthier lives. Oprah has inspired me personally, and through this new venture, Oprah's talent and drive will have a dedicated multimedia platform to empower, engage and connect with people on-air and on-line."
The development of the Oprah Winfrey Network serves as a sizable addition to Winfrey’s vast Harpo Productions empire, which also includes Oprah & Friends, an XM Satellite Radio station; two magazine publications (O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home); and Harpo Films, a feature film and telefilm production company.
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