Oprah Taps Jay-Z & Lady Gaga For Debut Of New Network

We reported earlier that Oprah will be moving to nighttime TV with her new show “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” It will air OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network) which is a 50-50 joint venture between Ms. Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. and cable programmer Discovery Communications In.

The new show, which could air as many as two or three times a week, will take Ms. Winfrey out of the studio setting that has been her home for 25 years and follow her around the globe for conversations in places such as Egypt and China.

Ms. Winfrey said she also may appear in other OWN shows including a possible book-club show. “My name’s going to show up on that grid a lot,” she said.

One OWN series, “Visionaries: Inside the Creative Mind,” will highlight pop musician Lady Gaga and movie director James Cameron, among others. Another show, “Master Class,” will feature people like former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and musician Jay-Z relaying life stories and lessons directly into the camera.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said Ms. Winfrey asked him to participate during a phone call. “I didn’t even think about it,” Mr. Carter said last month. “I just said ‘yes.'”