Funny story about yesterday’s blog item on OWN’s Lisa Erspamer.
First of all, I posted it but then our blog tool mysteriously deleted it. We still don’t know how that happened, but I now suspect it was because the news angels that occasionally watch over me were trying to tell me something. Like maybe WAIT, HOLD UP, STOP because something bigger was coming.
An additional warning came when I learned that I spelled Erspamer’s name wrong. Somehow the name “Erspamer” gives me spelling fits and I really wanted to add an extra “R.” But I fixed the errors — twice — and soldiered on.
Then I boldly mentioned that perhaps Erspamer’s move to LA was suggestive of something else happening – like when OWN would launch and whether Oprah would move her show off syndication to OWN. Note that I didn’t indicate that I knew anything, because I didn’t. I just innocently floated the question, noting that it’s the most important question hanging over the head of syndication.
I think my news angels were silently shaking their heads over me this morning when Nikki Finke answered that question with a loud boom, reporting that her sources are telling her that Oprah will definitely wrap up her syndicated show when her contract expires in 2011 and move over to OWN.
As you can read in my story on the subject, none of the relevant players – OWN, Harpo, CBS TV Distribution – are confirming this story. All are still saying that Oprah has yet to make a decision.
But for the record, my money’s on Nikki. I think she has more informed angels.
