Oprah Winfrey's Network, OWN, the iconic talk show host's 15-month-old cable network, laid off 30 staffers in the wake of persistently poor ratings, including the cancellation of a show hosted by comedian Rosie O'Donnell that lasted five months.
The cable network, owned jointly by Winfrey and Discovery Communications, has had a hard time finding an audience for most of its programming after being launched on Jan. 2, 2011.
"The economics of a start-up cable network just don't work with the cost structure that was in place," Winfrey said in a statement. "As CEO, I have a responsibility to chart the course for long-term success for the network."
The staffers that were laid off are located in New York and Los Angeles, where the company has its production offices.
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