Andy Cohen Offers Oprah Winfrey Advice On Fixing OWN Network

Following various reports of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network ratings struggle (it was recently dubbed the most “successful failure in television today”) Bravo’s Andy Cohen offered some advice on how Oprah should salvage her channel.

During a recent appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show, the programming executive told listeners that Winfrey would be better off running reruns of her highly successful talk show.

"Here's the first thing that I would do and it's the first thing I would have done two years ago: put on re-reruns of the freaking 'Oprah Winfrey Show.' They are sitting on a 25-year archive of The Oprah Winfrey Show. You have all this time to fill? Guess what I want to watch? The greatest talk show in the history of talk shows. 'The Oprah Winfrey Show."'

"First of all, I don't want to watch a show that has class in the title," he added. "I don't want to go to school. ... I just want to see the old 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.' I know they probably have rights issues ... [but] it's the greatest show."

Although the “Watch What Happens” host appeared to be passionate about cleaning up Oprah’s network issues, he did admit that he would decline to join Winfrey’s ranks if an offer was ever made.

In light of a May 3 Bloomberg Businessweek report stating that the network may have lost $330 million since its 2008 launch, Discovery Communication CEO David Zaslav expects OWN to break even in the second half of 2013, according to Broadcasting & Cable.

PHOTOS: Oprah Winfrey's Style Evolution

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• 1987

• 1989

• 1992

• 1995

• 2002

  WEST HOLLYWOOD, UNITED STATES: US talk show host Oprah Winfrey arrives at the Vanity Fair dinner and post-party celebrating the seventy-fourth Academy Awards, 24 March 2002, at Mortons in West Hollywood, CA. AFP PHOTO/RICH SCHMITT (Photo credit should read RICH SCHMITT/AFP/Getty Images)

• 2002

  NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 12: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey attends the 46th Annual Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner November 13, 2002 at Chelsea Piers in New York City. (Photo by John Falls/Getty Images)

• 2003

  CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 27: (UK NEWSPAPERS OUT) Actress and talk show host Oprah Winfrey attends the Thanksgiving Dinner prior to the 46664 concert on November 27, 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa. The concert will take place on November 29th and will benefit the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the fight against AIDS in Africa. Artists performing will include Bono, Queen, Peter Gabriel, The Eurythmics, Beyonce, Youssou N'Dour, and may other internations and African musicians. It will be one of the biggest rock events ever staged in Africa and will also be the most widely distributed media event in history with a potential audience of more than 2 billion people in 166 countries. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

• 2004

  PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 11: Television Star Oprah Winfrey poses backstage during the 30th Annual People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium January 11, 2004 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

• 2004

  HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 29: Talk show host Oprah Winfrey attends the 76th Annual Academy Awards on February 29, 2004 at the Kodak Theater, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

• 2005

  NEW YORK - APRIL 11: Oprah Winfrey arrives to the 2005 Matrix Awards outside the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on April 11, 2005 in New York. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)

• 2005

  SANTA BARBARA, CA - MAY 14: (L - R) Host Oprah Winfrey and US Vogue's Editor at Large Andre Leon Talley attend the Legends Ball at the Bacara Resort and Spa on May 14, 2005 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

• 2006

  NEW YORK - JUNE 11: Television personality Oprah Winfrey attends the 60th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall June 11, 2006 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

• 2006

  NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 13: Television journalist Barabra Walters poses with honoree Oprah Winfrey at The New York Public Library's Annual Library Lions Gala at The New York Public Library on November 13, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

• 2007

  WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 25: Television personality Oprah Winfrey arrives at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons on February 25, 2007 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

• 2007

  NEW YORK - JUNE 04: Oprah Winfrey attends the 25th Anniversary of the Annual CFDA Fashion Awards held at the New York Public Library on June 4, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images for CFDA)

• 2008

  LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: TV personality Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

• 2008

  NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: Oprah Winfrey attends the opening night performance celebrating Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 50th anniversary at the New York City Center on December 3, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

• 2009

  TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 13: Executive producer Oprah Winfrey walks onstage at the 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire' screening introduction during the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival held at Roy Thomson Hall on September 13, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by C.J. LaFrance/Getty Images)

• 2009

  NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: TV personality Oprah Winfrey hosts The Oprah Winfrey Show: Fridays Live From New York at Rumsey Playfield on September 18, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

• 2007

  HOLLYWOOD - MARCH 07: Oprah Winfrey presents onstage during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre on March 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

• 2010

  NEW YORK - MAY 03: Designer Oscar de la Renta and Oprah attend the Costume Institute Gala Benefit to celebrate the opening of the 'American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity' exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 3, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

• 2010

  CULVER CITY, CA - JUNE 10: Actress Julia Roberts and Oprah Winfrey in the audience during the 38th AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Mike Nichols held at Sony Pictures Studios on June 10, 2010 in Culver City, California. The AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Mike Nichols will premiere on TV Land on Saturday, June 25 at 9PM ET/PST. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for AFI)

• 2010

  LONG BEACH, CA - OCTOBER 26: Oprah Winfrey is honored with Minerva Award at Maria Shriver Women's Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center on October 26, 2010 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

• 2010

  WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 4: (AFP OUT) Oprah Winfrey, one of the 2010 Kennedy Center honorees, arrives with Stedman Graham for the formal artist's dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors at the United States Department of State December 4, 2010 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

• 2010

  SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 14: Oprah Winfrey gestures during the first taping of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. 12,000 audience members were selected from 350,000 applicants to participate in two tapings of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House. Oprah descended on Australia last week with 302 super fans from the US, Canada and Jamaica to produce four shows for the 25th and final season of the program. the shows will air in the US and Australia in January 2011. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

• 2011

  PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 06: Oprah Winfrey arrives at OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network's 2011 TCA Winter Press Tour Cocktail Party at the Horseshoe Gardens at the Langham Hotel on January 6, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

• 2011

  HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Presenter Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage during the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

• 2011

  CHICAGO, IL - MAY 17: Oprah attends Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular at the United Center on May 17, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

• 2011

  NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: Ralph Lauren and Oprah Winfrey attend an evening with Ralph Lauren hosted by Oprah Winfrey and presented at Lincoln Center on October 24, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Ralph Lauren)

• 2011

  MEYERTON, HENLEY ON KLIP - JANUARY 14: Oprah Winfrey with the Graduates at the inaugural graduation of the class of 2011 at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls on January 14, 2012 in Henley on Klip, South Africa. (Photo by Michelly Rall/Getty Images)

• Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls - Class of 2011 Inaugural Graduation

  MEYERTON, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 14: Oprah Winfrey arrives at the inaugural graduation of the class of 2011 at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls on January 14, 2012 in Henley on Klip, South Africa. (Photo by Michelly Rall/Getty Images)

• Oprah Winfrey

  U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey in an Indian attire greets her fans at the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, India, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

• US talk show host Oprah Winfrey gestures

  US talk show host Oprah Winfrey gestures towards the media as she walks down a lane in Mumbai on January 17, 2012. Winfrey is on her first visit to the country to film an episode of her new talk show, 'Oprah’s Next Chapter', and is expected to attend a literary festival in Jaipur city. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE (Photo credit should read INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Oprah Winfrey

  Oprah Winfrey poses with her honorary Oscar at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey

  FILE - This Nov. 26, 2012 file photo shows Ball State University alumnus David Letterman, right, host of CBS's "Late Show," with Oprah Winfrey following an interview at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Letterman says he sees a psychiatrist once a week, part of his attempt to be the person he once believed he was. The late-night talk show host gave an extraordinary interview to Oprah Winfrey, where he talked about his feuds with her and Jay Leno and his own effort to make amends for the affairs that became public three years ago when a man tried to extort him. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, file)

• In this image released by CBS, Oprah Winfrey appears on "CBS This Morning," with co-host Charlie Rose, Monday, April 2, 2012 in New York. Winfrey says she still has faith in her troubled cable network. Appearing on the morning show, Winfrey told the show's co-host _ and her best friend _ Gayle King that she believes the Oprah Winfrey Network will fulfill its mission of transforming viewers' lives. But if viewers don't respond, Winfrey says: “I will move on to the next thing.” OWN has struggled to build an audience since its launch in January 2011. (AP Photo/CBS, Heather Wines)

• Oprah Winfrey

  Oprah Winfrey attends the premiere of "Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

• 6th Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Luncheon - Arrivals

  BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 21: Oprah Winfrey attends the Sixth Annual ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards Luncheon at Beverly Hills Hotel on February 21, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Comments

[emc3548]

01:37 AM on 06/05/2012

Oprah just go away

[Yaeger J]

06:40 PM on 06/01/2012

Andy Cohen to give advise to Oprah, is like asking the Pope to give you back your virginity. What I find so interesting is that, where were all these negative, and opinionated vampires, when the other 300 and plus cable stations had there rought starts? You never heard anything from anyone, but now that Oprah is riding the waves, you all have an opinion. why? If I did not know better I would think you haters would love to see her fail, well God is much too powerful for that to allow that to happen to Ms. O. Take A Number.......Next.

[slickvic]

12:45 PM on 05/13/2012

ANDY CAN NOT TALK ABOUT OPRAH AT ALL. HE DOSE NOT HAVE THE LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT THIS WOMEN HAVE. OH BY THE WAY DOSE HE OWN HIS ON CHANNEL .SHE DOSE AND IT WILL TAKE TIME. FOR THINGS TO GET THE RATEING THE WAY SHE WANTS IT TO BE. ALWAYS GOOD LUCK AND BLESSING LADY O . I LOVE SWEETIE PIE TY

[BlacknProud310]

12:55 PM on 05/20/2012

Wow, screaming and misspelling. Not cool.

[v eyepete]

07:35 AM on 05/13/2012

Although the idea is sound on the surface, his credibility is seriously damaged by any association with that crass degrader of women, H. S or as I like to think of him, the roach who keeps ducking the Baygone.

[rvegas8]

10:55 PM on 05/12/2012

Agreed! Fell in love with Sweetie Pies after working on a school project. Im from stl and it's good to see your hometown on tv.

[alicam]

12:59 PM on 05/12/2012

Oprah should never have listened to Stedman. She did not need a whole network. No one does. She has over-reached. You have to know when to say when and rich people have a hard time doing this due to their egos and greed.

[Boissiere Parker]

12:56 PM on 05/12/2012

The only thing about OWN I like is 'Sweetie Pies', and I can only take that but so long.

[Alexis718]

08:24 AM on 05/12/2012

The "Oprah Winfrey Show" ended too soon. I don't get the OWN channel but I would agree with showing reruns of the talk show. She's a very good interviewer and asks all the right questions. Many of us have said, "did you see so and so on Oprah"?.

[Jesse Jess]

08:18 AM on 05/12/2012

it has always been all about Oprah ...this is why so many DO NOT LIKE her

[mtannor]

02:08 AM on 05/12/2012

the only thing i like on OWN is dr phil. when he is not on there is not to much else on.

[writeon1]

06:53 PM on 05/11/2012

Just because you had a very successful show run, and many people really like you dosen't mean that everything you put your "brand" on or stamp of approval on (OWN) will be a hit.

[Getoveritandmoveon7]

06:26 PM on 05/11/2012

I agree with alot of the comments here. The OWN Network has become about " lets talk about me, me, and me. I do not want to here about Oprahs life again and again. If I have to hear about her being abused as a kid again I'm going to scream.. It sounds like shes just finding herself on TV and we are all her therapists. Get help. Oprah, because it sounds like there are issues you have not resolved yet. And I personally did not volunteer to hear about all your problems again, again and again. Every time OPRAH opens her mouth she telling someone, anyone how she was abused as a child. It many times seems to be the topic of conversation, obviously she has not dealt with certain issues. and for this I feel bad, but come on stop all ready, some of us have dealt with some of the same thing and have moved on, and with much less money I might add, much less money. Get over it....

[jgamble28]

05:52 PM on 05/11/2012

This women has more money than she knows what to do with it. Maybe it's time to sell the network and retire. I sure wouldn't be watching repeats of her talk show.

[mdd43]

05:48 PM on 05/11/2012

Andy Cohen may be making money for Bravo, but the majority of his shows are about materialistic, self-absorbed women behaving badly. It's all very negative and exploitative---a kind of televised tabloid rag on steroids. These "reality" shows are cheap to produce so the networks just keep shoveling them out there. But trash is trash, no matter how much money you make off of it.

[suemj]

12:34 PM on 05/12/2012

Yes, he's making millions off of badly behaving rich women with no class.

[Ldenver]

04:13 PM on 05/11/2012

And here is another golden nugget of advice...make it so that people can watch it FOR FREE.....