Oprah Winfrey partnering with Discovery for own TV network

NEW YORK -- Oprah Winfrey is getting her own TV network.

Discovery Communications and Winfrey announced a deal Tuesday where the Discovery Health network will be turned over to Winfrey next year, becoming OWN -- the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The cash-free transaction involved Winfrey turning over her Web site to Discovery, while the communications company makes her chairman of the network, which currently is seen in 68 million homes, said David Zaslav, Discovery Communications chief.

"The focus of the channel will be the focus of Oprah's brand, which is to educate and inspire people to live the best life they can," Zaslav said.

Some of Winfrey's stable of regular contributors could be expected to be part of the programming, he said. Winfrey's current talk show, as well as rights to use of reruns, is spoken for until the end of the 2010-11 season.

Besides hosting syndication's top-rated talk show, Winfrey puts out her own magazine.