OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network Gives Sneak Peek of New Network Dedicated to Living Your Best Life

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network Gives Sneak Peek of New Network Dedicated to Living Your Best Life

NEW YORK, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Christina Norman, CEO of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, today offered a first glimpse of both the network's programming in development and digital strategy to members of the advertising and media communities at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. OWN's programming is built around three big ideas: Best Life All Stars, Best Life Experiences, and Best Life Inspiration. The full network launch schedule, to be announced later this year, will be a mix of original and acquired programs, with plans underway for strips, specials, and acquired movies.

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, the first network about living your best life, will launch throughout the U.S. in early 2010 on what is currently Discovery Health Channel. The digital component, MyOwn.com, begins today with an interactive experience for audiences to play with and create their own version of the network's logo. Oprah Winfrey is the network's inspiration and Chief Creative Officer.

"This is just the beginning for OWN and what we envision will be a new entertainment experience for our audiences," said Ms. Winfrey, Chairman of OWN. "One of the things I love about my work is getting to meet extraordinary people who have done amazing things in life. So, for OWN, I will be hand-picking some of the most engaging and intriguing people of our time and giving them a stage all their own to share their stories and best life lessons with all of us. The unique series is called Master Class, and it will be a truly one-of-a-kind look at the world's most remarkable people."

"Our goal is to create an innovative experience for that broad audience of people who are living their lives with purpose," said Ms. Norman in making the announcement. "Over the coming months, we will unveil our schedule and opportunities for our audience to connect with us and shape OWN."

Among the projects in development announced today:

BEST LIFE ALL STARS:

THE PETER WALSH PROJECT (working title), the de-clutter expert and popular guest of The Oprah Winfrey Show, will be joined by a team of experts in helping people uncover what is really going on in their lives behind the mess. This show is from Harpo Productions.

DR. LAURA BERMAN (working title), sex therapist, relationship expert, bestselling author, and Sirius XM radio show host - will lead a one-hour talk show based in Chicago. This show is from Harpo Productions.

BEST LIFE EXPERIENCES:

EXCELLENT ADVENTURE follows a celebrity and their best friend as they embark on the adventure they have always dreamt of taking together. Whether the adventure is large or small, viewers will get to see the power of friends sharing unforgettable moments together. The show is produced by Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Films.

INSIDE: LISA LING INVESTIGATES (working title) is a one-hour program featuring reporting with Lisa Ling. Lisa's reports take the viewers to the frontlines, as we have already seen with her in-depth news pieces including a look into a family addicted to heroin, a peek into the FLDS compound one year later, and an expose on America's "tent cities." In this show, from Harpo Productions, viewers will join Lisa in exploring worlds and aspects of a story they would never in their wildest dreams imagine.

BEST LIFE INSPIRATION:

MASTER CLASS (working title) is a unique series produced by Harpo Productions featuring the most extraordinary people of our time, hand-picked by Oprah Winfrey. Here they will share with us who they really are - their stories, their passions, and their best life lessons. Viewers will get an in-depth look at those who have impressed Oprah with their vision, fortitude, and creativity.

SURFER'S HEALING is a docusoap produced by Snackaholic about former competitive surfer Izzy Paskowitz, his wife Danielle, their three children - one of whom is autistic - and their surf school business. We will watch them, their highs and lows, as they manage a business and a foundation for autistic children.

OWN is also in discussions with other regulars from The Oprah Winfrey Show.

About OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network

A joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform, and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also will include the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB)(NASDAQ:DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About Harpo

Harpo Productions, Inc. produces the number-one-rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show; creates and develops original TV programming for primetime, syndication and cable television; and operates Oprah.com (www.oprah.com), a premier lifestyle website. Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly O, The Oprah Magazine publication. Harpo Films is dedicated to high-quality scripted dramatic programming, and recently announced an exclusive television deal with HBO. Harpo Radio, Inc. produces Oprah Radio (XM channel 156, Sirius channel 195 as part of its "Best of XM" package) on Sirius XM Radio. A joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a multi-platform company, will debut in early 2010 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel.

Source: OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network

CONTACT: Nicole Nichols, +1-323-602-5511, Nicole_Nichols@own.tv, or Beth
Gebhard, +1-323-602-5516, Beth_Gebhard@own.tv, both for Discovery
Communications, Inc.

Web Site: www.discoverycommunications.com
http://www.oprah.com/

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