BRIELLE URSSERY: At Roku, I launched its first owned and operated FAST channel – the Roku Channel – in December 2021. Later, I launched more for them, including a Project Runway -built channel. In addition to leading the growth for the FAST owned and operated channels, I also led content for both the diverse and inclusive side of things. I took both of these responsibilities and wrapped them up in one, launching The Block last November. The Block is a Black movie and TV channel that is available on the Roku Channel as we speak. FEED: The next stage of your career took place at Roku. What was that like?
PLANNED OUT While at Roku, Brielle defined the content strategy for minority communities
FEED: Have you found yourself being the most vocal in the decision-making process behind launching channels for less-catered-to audiences, such as The Block?
BRIELLE URSSERY: The launch of The Block came once again with that sense of responsibility. The main thought being, ‘we can’t just take any content that features Black people and throw it into a channel’. It had to be of a certain quality and specific tone. I wanted it to have the feeling of an entertainment channel. Frequently, when brands try to engage a Black audience, they want to be respectful. Programmes end up being educational – documentaries on civil rights movements, you know, all the things people are comfortable talking about because it’s being talked about on repeat. A lot of the time, they’re not familiar or comfortable with deciding on content that actually resonates with the audience, so I was very happy to be there to help with that. There’s often a sense of intimidation for the task at hand. Black Twitter, for example, can
“IT’S AMAZING, AT EVERY PLACE I HAVE WORKED, I AM THERE TO SERVE UNDER- REPRESENTED AUDIENCES”
be a brutal place. You really don’t want to be a part of that conversation in a negative way. You only get one chance to do something wrong before someone makes a TikTok about it and then you’re cancelled.
“THE BLOCK: IWANTED IT TO HAVETHE FEELING OF AN ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL”
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