Black O&O Cable Channel TV One Isn’t Straying From Its 20-Year Mission to Be ‘for Us by Us,’ President Says

When TV One launched in January 2004, it settled itself comfortably as a new option for Black, adult audiences within the deserted basic cable market that catered to Black content, where successful networks like BET ruled.

Now 20 years later, TV One has expanded with fresh verticals like its Black woman-driven network Cleo TV while captivating audiences with addictive shows like”Raising Fame.” Network president Michelle L. Rice has been there literally since the beginning, and she maintains that TV One’s mission to remain Black-owned and independent won’t waver despite the hurdles that come with it.

“We want to stay an independent and Black-owned voice. And that in and of itself is a challenge,” Rice told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View Q&A . “We have to really straddle the fence of staying independent, staying Black, staying true to who we are and the mission of our company.”

While she began as an operations exec, Rice today has a seat at the c-suite table, leading TV One’s expansion into connected TV (CTV) through the launch of the TV One app and free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, original content, as well as the creation of Cleo TV, which serves millennial and Gen Z Black women. In addition, and under Rice’s guide, TV One boasts hit shows, including “Raising Fame” and “The One.”

Rice shared that TV One, which is owned by Radio One Cable Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Urban One, Inc., doesn’t have any intentions on pulling back on the company’s purpose: keeping TV One Black-owned.

“I’m passionate about what the mission is of the company that is steeped into the DNA of who we are. We’re owned and operated by Urban One, which was founded by Cathy Hughes over 40 years ago with the mission to give a voice to Black people, because we can’t allow other people to tell our stories,” Rice said. “That continues to be the mission both for Urban One, iOne, all the different divisions across the platform. We need to have a choice. And even today, we need to have choice and representation … It’s still all about for us by us.”

Read on for Rice’s full Office With a View interview below.

You’ve been with TV One for 20 years. What was your position at the time, and how did you learn about the opportunity and join?
It was really small when I started; I think there were three people in sales. There were definitely less than 20 people in the office every day. You kind of just had to roll up your sleeves and really get into it. My responsibility was increasing the distribution of TV One. I managed accounts across the country, from Comcast, or DirecTV to Cox, making sure we were closing deals to ensure African Americans had a choice on the dial. And that may seem like it was easy. But at that point, there was only BET. And when we would go out and talk to folks, they would say, “We got BET, we don’t need another network.” Even though they had 100-plus channels at that time [or] in some instances, 300-plus channels. But you have one Black channel, [and] you’re saying, “I think we’re good.” So it really was up to us to really convince them that your channel lineup needs to reflect the communities that you serve.

What would you say are some challenges that Black platforms and media companies are facing?
It’s funny because one of the places where I got my start [was] BET when it was Black-owned. BET is no longer a Black-owned network. So I would say the biggest challenge for a lot of networks that are representing diverse voices is that they’re independent. We’re not a part of a big group. We’re not a part of a Disney or a Warner Media or Paramount, so it’s a lot more difficult because we’re not using the leverage of some big company. Someone really has to believe in the mission of this network and in our company to say, “Yes, I will launch that network,” because we’re not cramming retransmission consent, or some of these other things down their throat – we don’t have that kind of leverage. That challenge continues to exist.

What’s the remedy to those issues, and do you foresee it ever changing? Is there a bigger need for Black investors to come in on funding?
One-hundred percent. Investors that look like us. Sadly, post-George Floyd there was Black tax , as a lot of us would call it where people were basically saying, “Look, we know we’ve undervalued Black media for so long.” And they came back and started to level-set pricing CPMs and advertising, supporting us in terms of giving us broader distribution platforms. But they made lots of promises, and some of those things are being retracted, just because they don’t necessarily believe or see the value. But also, there’s a lot of attack on those types of promises . But again, I feel like it’s really level setting the business. I shouldn’t undervalue Black media by some 80% versus traditional general market media, when this customer clearly is one of the most valuable customers out there .

What’s the impact behind TV One being Black-owned and operated and how it measures up to companies that have Black content but aren’t?
When you look at who works at our company and how we are represented within our organization, from vice president-level and above, there’s a lot of representation of woman leaders, of Black leaders. We are truly a place where people can get a launching pad. We are creating a pipeline.

It’s very important for companies like ours, because this is a place where some people may get opportunities in terms of leadership, learning, mentoring and sponsorship that they may not get at other companies. We allow people to have that experience and then go off and be great [or] stay with us. I do think we play a very important role. A lot of people who work here got their start at BET for that very same reason. The mentorship, the opportunity, the ability to grow within, and you’re not dealing with certain things in environments that don’t support or protect you. We play a very important role in terms of training the next generation of people in this industry, but also making sure that the narrative that we’re putting out about our people is quality content, authentic content, and just telling the truth about our very diverse and broad experience beyond the stereotypical.

What’s the best career advice you’ve or the best career advice you’d give to someone?
Two things: no risks, no reward. Obviously risks should be calculated and well-informed. Nobody’s saying jump out of a plane without a parachute, but you need to take risks for change and innovation.

I’d also say, as a leader, listening to people is the best advice that I would give anyone. I have a sticky note on my computer that says, “Ask, don’t tell.” I’m a driver. So people with the driver’s model is, just get it done. So if you come into the office, I’m going to tell you how to just get it done. Part of that is being self-aware, understanding who you are, how that impacts people and where you draw your energy from. So any time someone comes to talk to me about something, it’s about me asking them questions, forcing them to learn and me to also learn. Because I can tell people what to do, but sometimes I can actually learn from someone else’s experiences, ideas and thoughts. It’s also a way to build consensus and creates a very collaborative, supportive culture.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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