Sheila Johnson calls out Oprah's OWN network

By TV Maverick
JR Staff Writer

In 2008, Oprah Winfrey announced she would be launching her own television network in 2011. The network will soon house all of her television projects, as "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will be cancelled this year. Unlike most black business figures, Oprah is very mainstream.

Many people would call Oprah a sell-out. After checking out her network, it is clear it is not all about black entertainment. When she discussed her network, Oprah said it would not be Afro-centric. At the time, she felt BET and TV One were enough and now BET-owned, Centric is there.

Before Oprah made it to the billionaire status, BET's founders Bob and Sheila Johnson made it there. Launched in 1980, BET was the first channel made just for black people. During the time the network was owned by the Johnsons, BET received its fair share of negative press. The network only showed music videos throughout the day instead of scripted programming.

After the BET debaccle and her high-profile divorce from Bob Johnson, Sheila Johnson has moved on with her life. She has remarried and recently checked out Oprah's OWN network. Upon watching some of the programs, Johnson was disappointed that there were not many black faces on the channel. Johnson called her former rival on this recently. She said Oprah should feature more black people on her network, as she is still a black woman.