Oprah Winfrey has revealed the reason she chose to launch her own network, OWN -- The Oprah Winfrey Network, instead of retiring after 25 years in television. In an interview with Parade Magazine, O said, "I was questioning, 'Why don't I build a boat and sail around the world? Why don't I learn French and find a nice house in Provence?' I could see myself bicycling with my baguettes and the whole thing. But I talked it over with my friends, and they all said, 'You're not going to be happy doing nothing.'"

 

When asked what Oprah would perceive as a failure, she said, "What will be a failure is if nobody comes and watches this network. What others will perceive as failure is if some shows don't succeed. I'm concerned about the bigger overall picture: my belief that people are basically good and want to see the good in them reflected through their experiences and the shows that they watch. This is a gamble I'm taking."

 

When asked about her opinion of TV, O took a jab at Bravo's Real Housewives series. She said, "I think that television programmers program to the lowest common denominator. I happened to be on the treadmill one night and passed one of the Housewives shows -- I don't know which city -- and literally my mouth was open 'cause I though, This is on television?"

 

She added, "I recognize that there's a whole group of people who find that very entertaining. I wonder for how long. I think that there are people who want to be fed just a little more."

 

Oprah's new network OWN launches on January 1st.

 

Oprah's interview with Parade Magazine hits newsstands this week.