With Perry at the helm, OWN ended 2023 as Saturday nights’ No. 1 cable network with African-American women 25-54. She is responsible for expanding OWN’s successful unscripted programming roster to two nights (Friday and Saturday), and filling it with original fare such as “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” and “First Time Buyer’s Club.” This year, Perry commissioned “Time of Essence,” telling the story of how the magazine informed and reflected Black culture in America for over 50 years, and “Rebuilding Black Wall Street,” chronicling the ongoing reconstruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, which was destroyed in the 1921 massacre.
Biggest takeaway from the Hollywood strikes? It might sound cliché, but I think “we are all in this together” is extraordinarily appropriate. The Hollywood ecosystem, no matter how much it may be changing, is still predicated on the success of relationships between dependent parties. Content studios, TV networks, writers, actors, directors, etc. are all integral to the success of the industry. We have to find ways to continue to work together.
Business speak phrase or buzzword I find most annoying: “Let’s circle back.” Or… let’s not!
Do you personally still have a traditional cable video package? I do, albeit via YouTube TV. So, I think that’s probably a nontraditional, traditional cable video package.
TV series everyone should binge: I’m really into “Peaky Blinders.” I am very interested to see how it all winds up for Tommy Shelby with perhaps a feature film.
