Oprah's Network Gets A Warm Welcome From Viewers

On its debut weekend, Oprah Winfrey's cable network got some healthy sampling from viewers.

During the three-hour block beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network averaged 1 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen Co. figures released Monday by the network.

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OWN said that, during Saturday's 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST hours, the network ranked third among all ad-supported cable networks in the 25-to-54-year-old audience demo. OWN was airing episodes of its reality series, "Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes." Only ESPN and USA Network ranked higher.

Sunday in prime time, the network averaged 822,000 viewers.

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OWN, which launched at 12 noon EST on Saturday, is available in 80 percent of homes with cable.

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