Oprah's new OWN network
©2010 Tom Blake
One of the benefits of being a subscriber (aka Champ) to this newsletter is to learn of fun opportunities or activities that arise
without much notice. True, for most of us, the chance to appear on a network television show is pretty remote, particularly one that has
Oprah's name stamped on it. But such an opportunity came to us this week.
You may know that Oprah Winfrey launches her new OWN network next week. She will be featuring a bunch of celebrity stars during
the week. One of her stars will be Dr. Phil. He will be conducting a 50-plus speed dating event to find a mate for a single woman
that they have already selected.
Well, as the show's producers discovered, (something we've known for years), finding decent, available single men over 50 is
difficult--although not impossible. So the producers did a Google search on love after 50 and of course
www.FindingLoveAfter50.com,
our website, came up numero uno out of about a zillion listings. They contacted me Monday night and asked if I could find them some
single guys to come to the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood this Sunday, January 2. Nothing like a last-minute request I'd have to
say, but I made it happen.
I tapped into our mailing list and sent a notice to as many single men as I could ideintify on the list. I had no idea if any of
them contacted the producer. One of our men emailed me that he was tempted to contact the producer, but his girlfriend would have booted
him out of the house.
I was instructed to inform the men that background checks would be done on them to ensure they were not married or convicted felons.
And because I was doing the producer a bit of a favor--she was thrilled and relieved for the help--I popped the question: "May I
send you copies of my three love after 50 books that might give you ideas for future shows?" She said, "Yes." I sent the books Tuesday
morning
Last night, the producer emailed me: "Your books arrived today and what a treat that was! I really can't thank you enough for sending
these, along with some terrific eligible bachelors, my way. I hope you'll watch the show on Oprah's new network OWN."
So, some of our men might be on the show.
And who knows? Maybe Oprah will want to feature a bunch of our women on a future show. Wouldn't that be a hoot!
It happened once before. Five years ago, I was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America. Before I flew to New York, the
show producers asked me to find a single woman and single man to be on the show with me who had met online but had not yet met in person.
I put a notice out to the readers on our list. GMA selected a man and a woman and flew them into NYC, paid all of their expenses, and
had them meet for the first time in person on the show. Then, ABC sent them off in a limo on a first date to the famous Tavern on the
Green restaurant in Central Park.
And while the couple didn't have much attraction for each other, and the relationship fizzled after that, I was very proud of our newsletter group.
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