Without a doubt Oprah, Team Harpo & Team OWN have what it takes to change the face of television. After 25 years of The Oprah Winfrey Show we can all agree that they have a pretty good handle on the pulse of America.  But as they ventured into uncharted waters with an entire network, they forgot one thing…don’t leave your success in the hands of others.

Currently, OWN is only accepting proposals for shows from established production companies. The same companies that pitch to every other network. They have great material however, no one knows the vision of OWN and what programming they need better than Team Oprah.  Now, don’t get me wrong. There are incredible documentaries and programs that they can tap into and bring to television, but they shouldn’t rely on it.  If they want to show the world something different, they need to DO something different.

Oprah has her own production company – Harpo Studios.  Instead of waiting for the right show pitch or settling for a decent idea, they should seriously consider uping their game.  The most popular shows that are finding the OWN audience are the ones that have come from Team Harpo – Behind the Scenes, Oprah’s Next Chapter, LifeClass, MasterClass.  The Oprah Team is SO creative and can run circles around any of these other companies. All they need to do is come together to create the programs that they already know we want to see.  If they do, they will knock the balance of TV off its center. THIS I know for sure.

So, Team Oprah, please take this action.  Look back at all of the successful years of The Oprah Winfrey Show. You know what people want to see and are drawn to. Find what lifts the world and LEAN into it. With this in mind, we have come up with great show ideas and we are just OWN viewers…although I would argue that we are OWN Experts, OWN Ambassadors and OWN Early Adopters.  However, NO ONE knows the vision of OWN and what viewers crave better than Oprah and her team. You just need to trust in that and lean into it. The rest is just gravity!