Martha Stewart: The Cable TV Network?

Oprah will soon have her own TV network (called OWN), and domestic doyenne Martha Stewart may not be far behind.

With her syndicated 'Martha Stewart Show' already moving to the Hallmark Channel in September, Stewart and Crown Media, the parent company of the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, are in preliminary talks to launch a new Martha-themed cable network.

The new network would tentatively be called Hallmark Home, though, given Hallmark's recent deal to pepper its line-up with Stewart-produced fare, the lifestyle guru already has a huge cable presence.Oprah will soon have her own TV network (called OWN), and domestic doyenne Martha Stewart may not be far behind.

With her syndicated 'Martha Stewart Show' already moving to the Hallmark Channel in September, Stewart and Crown Media, the parent company of the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, are in preliminary talks to launch a new Martha-themed cable network.

The new network would tentatively be called Hallmark Home, though, given Hallmark's recent deal to pepper its line-up with Stewart-produced fare, the lifestyle guru already has a huge cable presence.

Beginning on March 29, Hallmark Channel became the home of seven hours of Stewart-related programming every day, with a deal for her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia organization to also produce new specials for Hallmark throughout the year.

MSLO shows currently airing on Hallmark include 'From Martha's Kitchen,' 'From Martha's Garden' and 'From Martha's Home,' all repackaged segments from her classic homemaking and DIY series.

The new cable channel would be jointly owned by Hallmark and MSLO, with a third party potentially being added to fund the network.

Meanwhile, Stewart, who also operates her content-rich Web site, MarthaStewart.com, and has her own product lines at retailers like Home Depot, Macy's and Michaels, is also the subject of a new book written by her former BFF.

Mariana Pasternak's 'The Best of Friends: Martha and Me' (HarperCollins) dishes her friendship with Stewart, including details of their failed marriages, Stewart's attitude about K-Mart (with whom her ex-husband had convinced her to partner for a product line), how Martha once got herself and Pasternak kicked out of a cab and stranded in the desert because she argued with a cabbie in Egypt, and, ultimately, how Pasternak's testimony at Stewart's insider trading trial helped convict Martha.

Needless to say, the two are no longer friends.