Oprah Winfrey has decided to go in a new direction when it comes to her network OWN. This week Ms. Winfrey let go of the network’s first CEO Christina Norman. Peter Liguori, the current Chief Operating Officer of Discovery Communications, will take over in the interim for Ms. Norman. OWN has not seen the ratings it had hoped for since the network’s debut in January and hopes to develop a new long term strategy once OWN chooses its next CEO. Oprah Winfrey had this to say in a recent press release:
“I want to thank Christina for her important accomplishments, incredible passion and many sacrifices in helping to launch the network,” said Winfrey. “With the final taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” only a few weeks away, I will soon be able to devote my full energies to OWN. This is a natural point of transition, and I am confident that Peter, as an integral part of the launch of OWN, will be a terrific partner for me going forward. He is one of the smartest, most creative executives in media, and I look forward to his leadership as we build our development slate and work toward the launch of OPRAH’S NEXT CHAPTER. Over the remainder of the year, Peter and I will work together to recruit a permanent CEO for OWN’s next phase of growth.”
