Oprah Winfrey’s troubled network looks to be doing better in Canada than U.S.

Oprah Winfrey has taken command of her namesake cable network. Lacklustre ratings since its New Year's Day debut in the U.S. left her little choice.

But what else was she going to do after leaving her daily talk show behind?

The story might be different in Canada, where Oprah Winfrey Network franchisee Corus Entertainment boasted of its revived fortunes on Thursday.

An advertising rebound benefitted its TV division most of all, Corus chief executive John Cassaday reported to shareholders, which more than compensated for a shortfall in its radio division. And the company has the power of Oprah to thank.

The delayed launch of OWN in Canada built anticipation for its arrival after the U.S. version posted impressive ratings on its first day.

Audience numbers for its celebrity reality shows and therapeutic programming plummeted by the time it launched north of the border in March. But that two-month window was apparently enough time for faith in the venture to grow.

Corus reported a 15 per cent growth in advertising revenues in the spring. W Network, a station initially licensed to provide alternative feminist programming, has become one of the most profitable specialty channels in Canada with a programming mix currently focused on home makeovers, financial advice and shopping tips.

The success of W has carried over to its sister channels, Cosmopolitan TV and W Movies, which predominantly acquire programs from other sources rather than produce their own.

Oprah offered another opportunity to cash in through inclusion in digital cable and satellite subscription packages. A greater challenge involved being able to launch it without having to appeal for a new licence from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Oprah wasn't likely to visit Ottawa to plead with federal regulators.

An existing channel, Viva, was therefore rebranded in March as OWN. But it came with a hitch as the licence it held, originally granted to Canadian Learning Television, also required an educational component.

Viewers in Canada are vaguely advised to watch specific shows to help score credits in courses like Culinary Arts from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology or Integrative Health Practices from Mount Royal University.

Professional Organizers in Canada have also appointed aspiring members to watch the anti-hoarding show "Enough Already!"

But no post-secondary institution has offered a course to teach the real apparent lesson of OWN: how to make lots of money in Canadian TV.

(Reuters Photo)