I wonder what Tori Spelling thinks about getting a new boss? Today NBC Universal announced it plans to buy Oxygen Media, the cable TV network that broadcasts programming specifically for women, including Spelling’s new reality show “Tori & Dean: Inn Love.”
According to news reports, for an estimated $925 million, NBC Universal will acquire the network that broadcasts syndicated sitcoms such as “Mad About You” and “Roseanne,” as well as movies geared to women. Insiders call the buyout a move to attract more advertisers targeting female viewers. Basically, NBC Universal wants to create a “virtual women’s network” by adding Oxygen to its other entertainment cable acquisitions including USA Network, Bravo, SciFi, CNBC and MSNBC. By cross promoting each network on the other and using the properties as a whole NBC Universal hopes to offer advertisers who want to target young women and females with money a rare opportunity to get more bang for their buck.
So what about us–the female viewers they are targeting? What do we stand to gain in this move? According to NBC Universal executives, don’t look for a lot of change in programming—-just yet.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the network, Oxygen was founded in 2000 by current Chairman and CEO Geraldine Laybourne, Oprah Winfrey and television producers Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner (they were the brains behind hit shows including “The Cosby Show” and “Roseanne”) and Caryn Mandabach. It was the place where you could watch “Oprah After The Show” and “Real Weddings” now it offers more movies and reality series such as show “Tori & Dean: Inn Love.”
The network is currently available in about 74 million homes and last season it drew a record number of viewers, according to the folks at Nielsen Media Research.
I used to watch the shows on Oxygen a lot more a few years ago (prior to having my daughter). These days the network’s line up doesn’t appeal to me as much. What about you? Do you watch Oxygen?