For Tina Perry, President of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, media is more than entertainment—it’s a calling.
“Something Oprah told me very early on when I became president was, ‘You can never forget we are in service to our audience,’” Perry tells ESSENCE. “That’s something I think about every day.”
That ethos, a hallmark of Oprah Winfrey’s original approach to television, still drives the brand today. Since taking the helm in 2019, Perry has worked to expand OWN’s influence, not just by chasing ratings, but by cultivating a sense of home for Black women viewers.
The Heart of the Network
OWN’s central promise is simple: “See yourself.” But behind that mantra is a complex commitment to meeting the emotional, cultural, and narrative needs of Black women across generations and geographies.
“We are genre agnostic,” Perry explains. “We can make a lot of different types of shows because it’s not about the genre—it’s about her. The Black woman who tunes in.”
At OWN, every decision starts with understanding her—the viewer. Perry and her team spend time studying focus groups, analyzing data, and hosting immersive workshops to understand who the audience is and what she needs.
“We know where she lives, what markets drive our ratings, what topics make her lean in,” Perry says. “We even know when she wants to laugh and when she wants to cry.”
That data is matched by deep respect.
“We listen to her constantly. We don’t just assume we know her. We ask,” she adds.
This blend of research and reverence has helped OWN flourish at a time when many networks are retreating from their diversity promises. According to the network, OWN’s average premiere ratings among Black women were up 6% in Q1 2025. And in a climate of DEI rollbacks, that growth is not just impressive—it’s defiant.
From Oklahoma to Oprah
Perry’s path to media mogul status wasn’t straightforward. Raised in Oklahoma City, she didn’t grow up around Hollywood insiders or legacy media figures. But she did love stories. “I was the kid who stayed in the movie theater all day,” she remembers. “But I didn’t even know entertainment was a career.”
She studied political science and went to law school, eventually landing at a corporate law firm in New York. It was there, through a chance recommendation, that her resume made its way to Viacom (now Paramount). “I didn’t have connections. I had curiosity,” Perry says. “I had read so many industry books, subscribed to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. I studied what I could.”
That curiosity made an impression. She landed the job despite not knowing the technical side of entertainment law. “I couldn’t talk about backend deals, but I could talk about the digital revolution. I had ideas.”
Later, she would make a bold move: requesting a mentor through Viacom’s internal program, even though her seniority level typically meant she’d be assigned a mentee. “I asked to be mentored by someone who wasn’t a lawyer or a creative. I wanted to understand the business.” That mentor turned out to be Larry Jones, then-president of TV Land, who met with her regularly for years. That relationship—and the exposure it provided—was a turning point.
Finding Her Voice at OWN
Perry joined OWN in its early years, before the official 2011 launch. She describes those startup days as “scrappy and exciting,” but also deeply formative. “The opportunity to help build something from scratch, and to do it under the leadership of Oprah Winfrey, was life-changing,” she says.
Over time, she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming president. But the work, she says, has always been about reflecting the viewer—not herself.
“We may love a story or think it would make great TV,” she explains. “But if it doesn’t serve our audience, it doesn’t make the cut.”
That approach is deeply personal.
“Oprah built her show around being in touch with her audience—she literally brought them into the studio,” Perry says. “We carry that same spirit. We know her. We see her. We program for her.”
Leading With Intention
As one of the few Black women running a national television network, Perry is aware of the weight—and visibility—of her role.
“I didn’t have the privilege to start out in the industry right away,” she shares. “I came out of school with a lot of debt. I had to take jobs that helped me pay it down before I could transition into entertainment. That’s a common experience for many of us.”
But what she lacked in privilege, she made up for in tenacity.
“I had to navigate spaces where I was often the only one. I had to learn the culture, the rules, and advocate for myself over and over.”
Now, she uses her platform to remind younger Black women that no season is permanent. “Your career is a book,” she says. “Some chapters are euphoric. Others are difficult. But they’re all part of the journey. They pass.”
The Future Is Black—and Female
Despite the pressures of a shifting media landscape, Perry is optimistic about what’s next—for OWN, and for the women who watch it. “Black women want more,” she says. “More nuance. More joy. More reflection. And they deserve it.”
As OWN continues to evolve, so too does its impact. Under Perry’s leadership, the network isn’t just maintaining Oprah’s legacy—it’s expanding it, one authentic story at a time.
“We don’t just put Black women on screen,” Perry says. “We center her. And we’re never going to stop.”