LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s struggling television network, OWN, says it is laying off one-fifth of its workers and restructuring its operations in New York and Los Angeles.
In a statement, Winfrey says the decision to let 30 employees go is a “tough” one. But, she says, the economics of a start-up cable network didn’t fit with OWN’s cost structure.
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According to OWN, the responsibilities of the laid-off workers will be distributed among people with the network and its venture partners, Discovery Communications and Winfrey’s Harpo Studios.
OWN launched in January 2011 as an ambitious new platform for Winfrey after stepping away from her long-running daytime talk show.
It has proved a rocky venture. Viewership for OWN shows have been largely unimpressive, and the network canceled Rosie O’Donnell’s low-rated talk show last week.
