Now that Corus Entertainment is launching OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada on March 1, the question for indie producers is what’s the secret for making an original Canadian OWN Canada show?

For a start: authenticity and transformation come to mind.

“With Oprah and the OWN brand, [Canadian shows] will reflect Oprah’s values. Words like discovery and connection and transformation describe Oprah, and what the network is about,” Susan Schaefer, vice president and head of networks and marketing, at Corus Television, told Playback Daily.

Corus will launch OWN Canada with a Canadian lineup that includes Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag, Fearless in the Kitchen and Healthy Gourmet.

But the broadcaster is looking for a raft of additional Canadian content for the new network, and is currently briefing indie producers on Oprah Winfrey’s vision and the OWN Canada brand.

Corus on Thursday also said it has signed The Brick, General Mills Canada, L’Oréal Canada and Nissan as charter sponsors of OWN Canada.

Corus will produce tailor-made campaigns for each of the four companies over the next 18 months that will include branded content, product integration, blended tune-in spots, as well as an online advertising.

The sponsor exposure doesn’t come cheaply.

Given Oprah Winfrey’s solid Canadian TV following as she launches her network here, opening ad rates for OWN Canada will be at or around the same cost-per-point as W Network.

“We went out the gates on this knowing there’s huge ad interest in this brand and network and we really believe that Oprah and OWN deserve a great rate, a premium price, because of the value of the brand,” Schaefer said.