Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Struggles Running OWN During Network’s Turbulent Early Years
Oprah Winfrey has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of her career, acknowledging that she struggled while trying to build and run the Oprah Winfrey Network during its challenging early years.
Speaking about the experience in a recent interview on The Mel Robbins Podcast, Winfrey reflected on 2012, describing it as one of the worst years of her life. The media mogul had stepped into a new phase of her career after The Oprah Winfrey Show ended in 2011, turning much of her attention toward OWN.
But the transition proved far more difficult than she had anticipated.
“Every single story headline about me was” about Oprah and the struggling OWN Network, Winfrey recalled, acknowledging that the criticism was painful because, in her words, “I was struggling.”
OWN had launched in January 2011 with ambitious plans, but its first year was marked by low ratings, executive changes and programming difficulties. The network also faced pressure to reduce costs as it attempted to establish itself in the highly competitive cable television industry.
The pressure became particularly visible in March 2012, when OWN announced that it was laying off 30 employees—roughly one-fifth of its workforce at the time. Winfrey, who served as CEO, said the decision was necessary because the economics of a startup cable network did not fit the existing cost structure.
The layoffs came alongside other difficult decisions, including the cancellation of Rosie O’Donnell’s talk show after a relatively short run. Winfrey later described the experience of running the network as an enormous challenge.
In her recent reflection, Winfrey also said she had doubts about launching OWN in the first place but continued because she had already committed to the venture and did not want to disappoint her business partners.
Looking back, she said she regretted ignoring those doubts and said the experience taught her that people have the right to change their minds when something no longer feels right.
Despite the rocky beginning, OWN eventually underwent significant changes in its programming strategy. The network later found greater success with original scripted programming and partnerships with prominent creators, helping transform it from the struggling startup of its early years into a more established television network.
For Winfrey, however, the early years of OWN remain a reminder that even a highly successful career can include periods of uncertainty, difficult decisions and lessons learned the hard way.
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