BRIELLE URSSERY From an early rise through the ranks,
gaining unmatched understanding of FAST, to becoming the programming mastermind behind a zesty new streaming start-up; Brielle Urssery has been a voice for change when it comes to the diversification of our TV screens
FEED: Your career spans a variety of household names in terms of service providers. A good place to start might be the eight years you spent with BET (Black Entertainment Television) – tell us about that.
BRIELLE URSSERY: My time at BET started in the programming scheduling and acquisitions department as a co-ordinator. Within eight years, I worked my way up from assistant to director of programming and scheduling, where I led both the cable and digital channels. Those channels included BET Jams, BET Gospel and the launch of BET+. I was also part of the building, curating, scheduling and launching of BET’s best channels for Pluto TV, following its major acquisition by Viacom. The word I’d use to
a big moment for an HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) campus. BET was there, capturing the scenes on the day. BET being my first job was a real full-circle moment for me. Seeing it grow not only from an industry perspective in the way it adopted new models such as SVOD, AVOD and FAST, but also from an original programming perspective. While I was there, we launched the BET Experience; a festival of sorts, centred around the BET Awards. It really was the first of its
time, before Essence Festival and others catering for African Americans in the US. My time at BET was a rich experience that has changed the way I look at how to serve the Black audience; priming me for Roku and now Mansa.
“BET BEING MY FIRST JOBWAS A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT FOR ME – A BRAND THAT I GREW UP WITH”
describe my experience there is fulfilling. It was a brand I grew up with, and it was always a part of my life. I was in my freshman year at Spelman College in Atlanta when Barack Obama was elected, which was
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