In light of the sudden departure of OWN’s EVP of production and development Lisa Erspamer, the struggling cable network, a co-venture between Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo and Discovery Communications, has enlisted the help of 16-year Discovery Communications veteran Rita Mullin. On an interim basis, Mullin, currently SVP of…

EXCLUSIVE: The revolving door at the struggling OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network continues without slowing, and even without warning or public announcement. This time it has claimed one of Winfrey’s closest and most trusted executives, Lisa Erspamer. We’ve learned that Erspamer, EVP of production and development for…

EXCLUSIVE: Oprah Winfrey’s upstart cable network OWN continued its aggressive buying at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival by acquiring North American rights to Crime After Crime, the Yoav Potash-directed documentary. I’m told the deal was six figures, and that OWN will afford the film a qualifying Oscar run before it…

OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network this morning announced the long-rumored series with troubled Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson. The six-part documentary Finding Sarah will feature Ferguson's "personal struggle to rebuild her life," said OWN's chief creative officer Lisa Erspamer. "With the help of experts Dr. Phil McGraw…

LOS ANGELES, July 26 — OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK is producing five OWN original two-hour documentaries with Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Goldie Hawn, Gabriel Byrne and Mariel Hemingway, OWN announced today. The films will be presented as part of OWN’s monthly documentary film club, along with the original…