OPRAH FIRES 30 PEOPLE FROM HER OWN NETWORK!

Not everything Oprah Winfrey touches turns to gold.

Winfrey’s struggling cable network, OWN, laid off 30 staffers Monday as part of a restructuring and budget adjustment.

The firings came days after the network announced the cancellation of Rosie O’Donnell’s nightly talk show.

“It is difficult to make tough business decisions that affect people’s lives,” Winfrey said, “but the economics of a startup cable network just don’t work with the cost structure that was in place.”

Winfrey said her role as CEO was to chart the network’s long-term success, and layoffs were a “necessary next step.”

The network says it now has 120 employees.

OWN launched 15 months ago as a partnership with Discovery Communications.

Ratings have been far below overall expectations, with the only strong draws being Winfrey’s “Oprah’s Next Chapter” interview series. Her interview with Whitney Houston’s family was watched by more than 3 million people, the network’s largest-ever audience.

SOURCE