Jamila Hunter, the newly tapped programming chief for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, is facing an enormous challenge to get the cable network ready for a debut in early 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports.

First, the network has had a top executive departure, with the network’s president, Robin Schwartz, leaving after a year in the role.

The task of filling the schedule may also prove difficult to complete before the debut date, given that the development and production cycle can take as long as a year, even for talk and reality shows.

—Aimee Picchi