Oprah defends her struggling cable network on Facebook

Oprah Winfrey--two months into her life as a former daytime talk show host--took to Facebook to update her fans on her first week as chief executive of OWN, and to defend her struggling cable network.

"I spent my first full week at OWN merging new staff with Harpo folks," she wrote. "Alignment is the first step in getting anything to work."

Winfrey, who installed herself as CEO and chief creative officer after dismissing OWN's former chief Christine Norman amid lackluster ratings, responded to a critic who asked on Twitter her if she was "frazzled" by the network's troubles.

"Nope, not frazzled," she wrote. "And I have faith that if I do what I'm supposed to—allow it to serve my purpose, and you, the viewer—it will succeed."

"Everyone in the cable business told me it would take 3 years," Oprah continued. "Some said 5. I've been here a week. Lorne Michaels, master creator/producer told me months ago, 'It won't start to come together until you're there.' So I made myself CEO and now in the trenches with Erik [Logan] and Sheri [Salata] who've masterfully run Harpo, now also presidents of OWN. We're uniting and building our team."

Winfrey ended her 25-year syndicated daytime television run in May to focus on the OWN venture. Earlier this week, Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell—whose "Rosie Show" will debut on Oct. 10—appeared at the Television Critics Association conference to sell them on OWN's turnaround.

"[Friends ask] 'Are you enjoying your time in the Mediterranean?'" Winfrey told the TCA. "I'm here."

"I will say this," Oprah concluded in her Facebook note. "It's 10 times harder than doing my daily show. Doing that show felt like breathing everyday. Now I'm in so many meetings I sometimes have to step out and catch a breath.

"But I see every challenge as an opportunity. So no shortage of opportunities here. I know the same is true for your life. My experience is a network, yours is whatever is calling you right now. Get clarity. Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Don't be defeated by mistakes. Learn from them."

Winfrey also announced a new tagline for OWN: "The next right decision."