Some days viewers feel like we are playing a cross between musical chairs and freeze tag with the OWN Network. One moment we are running around loving all that the OWN Network is giving us and then the music stops. We start searching for our beloved programs in different time slots, and begin to sit down only to find some have pulled out from under us. While some shows may vanish, others seem to be frozen in time….with no clarity on when or if we will be tagged back in. Scanning the guide to find new or familiar faces, viewers are left feeling frustrated and totally out of breath.

After finally finding our bearings and coming to terms with those we may never see again, in about a month…it happens all over. We know the game will eventually tire itself out, but viewers are left struggling to find some way to avoid whiplash. It is almost as if the OWN Network is trying to separate the diehard viewers from, well….everyone else.

So….OWN, let me help you. I have a couple of constructive tips that may help. Feel free to comment and add a few!

• Please, please, please give us some consistency.
• Don’t end shows with 3 back-to-back episodes virtually unannounced. Viewers have invested in these shows and feel short changed.
• Don’t have a show vanish for months and bring it back quietly with little notice. Viewers don’t have time to keep up with the constant changes. Announce it BIG and way in advance.
• Be more consistent with getting the correct information to cable networks. When programs are mislabeled, DVRs miss the new shows. Viewers won’t go the extra step and log-on to the OWN website to see what is is playing. We have to trust that the programming schedule is right.
• Don’t leave us hanging on the shows we love. Let viewers know when to expect them back…even if you tell us that it is 6 months out. Just let us know!

 

We are all here because we love the idea of what OWN is striving to be. Most of us have been huge supporters of Oprah and her team in the past and want this new venture to be successful. However, don’t lose the viewers you have already captured. Let us know what to expect and we will stand beside you…as loyal viewers, we always have.