NEW YORK?Oxygen, Geraldine Laybourne?s femme-oriented cable network, launches today, but fewer than 10 million households can tune in to see the net?s programming, which features shows from Oprah Winfrey and Candice Bergen.?While carriage agreements have been struck in some areas with cable operators such as TCI and MediaOne, the network? backed by Paul Allen?s Vulcan Ventures, Oprah Winfrey?s Harpo Entertainment, ABC and America Online ? so far remains off in key markets such as New York and most of Los Angeles.?Oxygen claims that it will reach 50 million homes within four years, but insiders consider that ambitious.?(Lifetime reaches some 74 million homes.) Aside from reaching an audience, the network will need to woo advertisers in order to survive.?Although Oxygen will launch with advertising from companies such as Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and dot-com Petopia, critics in the ad community wonder if the network will live up to its hype.??The buzz has been generated because of the people involved.?Now everybody will take a wait-and-see attitude.?There?s a great expectation they?ll have to live up to,? said Bob Flood, DeWitt Media?s director, national electronic media.?Flood does anticipate that the network will garner some more charter advertisers, thanks to its distinguished pedigree.?Focusing on convergence between television and the Internet, Oxygen will run an informational bar across the bottom of the screen at all times urging viewers to turn to the Web for more info.?Advertisers are divided about whether the gimmick will be a turnoff to viewers.?Chris Geraci, BBDO New York?s senior VP, group director, national TV buying, is not a big fan of the bar.??I want to know that viewers are going to stay with the network long enough to see my commercial run,? Geraci said.?Oxygen president of sales and marketing C.J.?Kettler said that the informational bar ?gives advertisers the ability to create a call of action by driving viewers to their Web site.? But Geraci worries that Oxygen is ahead of the curve when it comes to convergence.??I sell for TV, not for the Internet,? he said.?Sources said Tuesday that Oxygen was close to announcing major commitments from a number of advertisers.?
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