Carlos King displays on his rise from showrunner to a media mogul main a lot of OWN’s most-watched unique programming,
After years of shaping hit actuality exhibits, Carlos King has constructed his personal media empire that’s redefining Black excellence and provoking Black creatives together with his blueprint for possession and authenticity.
As founder and CEO of Kingdom Reign Leisure, King helms the powerhouse actuality hits just like the Love & Marriage franchise and Belle Collective—standout collection on OWN which have contributed to as a lot as 70% of the community’s unique programming. King’s attain on OWN is an unprecedented feat in an area with few Black-owned gamers.
By driving main income for a Black-owned community whereas retaining each inventive management and possession of his mental property, King exemplifies the financial energy of Black-owned media. However to King, a proud Detroit native, his journey from worker to employer displays his bigger mission to function an “agent of change” in an trade the place true possession stays uncommon.
“Whereas I used to be a showrunner for The Actual Housewives of Atlanta, I used to be actually at a degree in my profession the place I needed to start out being on the head of the desk making selections and being an agent of change,” King tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “So showrunning that present for I consider it was three years, two years really at that time, I simply needed to actually begin a Black-owned manufacturing firm.”
“I needed to be the primary one doing it in order that the solid had someone who was the proprietor of the corporate who appeared identical to them.”
King’s leap into possession proved transformative when he launched Kingdom Reign Leisure and debuted Love & Marriage: Huntsville on OWN in 2019. What started as a contemporary tackle actuality storytelling shortly grew to become a breakout success, driving sturdy rankings and viewers engagement for the community.
The present’s recognition not solely cemented King’s popularity as one of the highly effective voices in unscripted tv however marked the start of a franchise that might increase and dominate OWN’s primetime slate. For the community, it was a game-changer, delivering constant viewership, sparking cultural conversations, and positioning OWN as a hub for dynamic, Black-centered actuality programming.
King didn’t enter the OWN partnership aiming to dominate primetime; his focus was merely on producing a terrific present. He credit his success to concentrating on doing one factor exceptionally effectively, a precept that has turn into a cornerstone of his achievements on the community.
“I didn’t go in eager to have a number of exhibits on the air. I simply needed to make it possible for the primary present that I had created, which is Love and Marriage Huntsville, that might achieve success,” King shared.
“I put all of my eggs in that basket by way of creativity, ardour, and love into it. And from there, with this present being so profitable, it spawned off two different cities, D.C. and Detroit. And it additionally created Belle Collective. So, for me, I didn’t step out to be this dominant participant. I’m thrilled that the success has benefited me to have a number of exhibits on the air. However the excellent factor is, I simply needed to make it possible for the primary present I had was successful.
“And for me, I really feel like if individuals can simply give attention to one factor and do a terrific job at that, all the things else will comply with.”
Supply: Picture courtesy of Carlos King
With a observe file producing hit seasons of The Actual Housewives and Love and Hip-Hop franchises, together with standalone collection like BET Presents: The Encore, Hollywood Divas, Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’oir: The Mane Occasion, and Promoting It: In The ATL, amongst many others, King is aware of precisely what drives viewers engagement in actuality tv.
That have proved invaluable when he solid Love & Marriage: Huntsville, deciding on real-life buddies and married {couples} working in actual property in Huntsville, Alabama, who have been additionally navigating real private drama. The present shortly grew to become OWN’s No. 1 collection, breaking rankings data because of its compelling give attention to marital dynamics and relationship conflicts.
King credit the solid’s authenticity and relatability as the important thing elements that not solely attracted viewers however saved them coming again, paving the best way for the franchise’s growth and the expansion of his content material empire on the community.
“Relating to Love and Marriage Huntsville, I strongly consider the viewers actually felt like they’d someone they may relate to,” King explains. “You may have three completely different {couples}, who have been going via three completely different milestones of their lives and their relationship. So the viewers positively felt the necessity to, you recognize, relate to the entire.”
From Melody and Martell Holt’s infidelity struggles taking part in out on display, to Kimmie and Maurice Scott’s marriage and blended household journey, all whereas LaTisha and Marsau Scott adjusted to a housewife coming into the workforce, viewers discovered a spread of genuine, relatable experiences within the solid, King explains.
“So I feel the relatability is what actually made the viewers, you recognize, actually, actually relate to Huntsville, which was the driving issue into the success that the opposite exhibits I’ve accomplished have had,” he added.
Earlier than increasing into new franchises, King honed in on the components that made Love & Marriage: Huntsville a breakout hit, a technique he credit to classes realized whereas engaged on powerhouse actuality collection like The Actual Housewives and Love & Hip Hop.
“It was all about ensuring that the viewers felt that, ‘OK, we love the model, Love and Marriage Huntsville is a big success.’ As a result of once I labored on Love and Hip Hop or once I labored on The Actual Housewives, it was all the time about ensuring that the primary engine, which we name the mothership, was successful and that the remainder will come so long as you type of comply with the components,” King defined.
“So I needed to comply with that components with constructing out the scene in Detroit, which was discover {couples} who’re relatable, who’ve a narrative to inform, in order that the viewers felt like, ‘OK, on Huntsville, now we have these superb solid members, however we’re additionally wanting ahead to attending to know different {couples} the place their storylines are considerably related however completely different of their strategy, however they will discover relatability there too.”
The leap from showrunner to media mogul wasn’t a straightforward one, particularly as King discovered himself entering into rooms the place he as soon as took course, now because the one giving it. That transition from worker to employer proved to be one among his largest challenges.
“The largest factor was ensuring that the community revered me as a CEO, as a result of for years, they’ve identified me as a producer, as a showrunner,” King says. “So then to have the ability to be the CEO of a manufacturing firm, I needed to make it possible for they noticed me as that and noticed someone who was ready from soup to nuts to deal with the logistics of manufacturing a present, but additionally managed the inventive aspect of it as effectively.
“So, that’s actually been my story that I hope others can relate to relating to transitioning from one part to the following and ensuring that these individuals who might have noticed you climb the ladder, that they see you because the individual you’ve grown to be versus the individual that you have been,” he provides.
Supply: Picture courtesy of Carlos King
For King, the steadiness between creativity and possession comes right down to constructing the proper group, so he can keep centered on telling tales.
“It’s all about hiring individuals to do what they love. So with me, creativity is my strongest go well with. That’s what I’m identified for,” King says. “My exhibits, you have got the Carlos King DNA in them. Relating to ensuring that the monetary a part of the corporate is doing effectively, I’ve a terrific group of people who find themselves put in place to actually make it possible for that’s occurring. And that’s occurring in a method the place the networks and the patrons and the solid who receives a commission, they can be like, ‘OK, that is additionally being dealt with simply as fantastically and splendidly because the inventive.’”
“So I’d say for individuals, you gotta rent the proper individuals to do the proper job. And that’s precisely what I’ve accomplished,” he provides.
In TV and movie, conserving inventive management isn’t simple, however King has managed to guard his imaginative and prescient and model whereas ensuring Black tales are advised authentically. The best way he brings real-life tales to the display, King says, is one thing for the historical past books.
“For me, it’s all the time been my aim to inform Black tales as a result of as a Black individual rising up on this enterprise, there wasn’t plenty of actuality exhibits again within the day that featured Black individuals in several worlds,” he shares “So even when you concentrate on the Love and Marriage franchise, it’s the primary present of its type the place it’s about an ensemble group of {couples}. So it’s not a few group of girls, and the husbands are the background gamers. This present, they’ve equal footing as a result of for me, Black {couples} that I’ve been round, they each have a voice, and I needed to make it possible for that was proven on the forefront.”
King continues. “So, for me, it’s all the time about telling completely different Black tales that haven’t been advised. So, doing a present about Black males, Black girls, they’ve a voice, even after they break up, we’re nonetheless following each. We’re following the divorced couple of their particular person endeavors, as a result of once more, simply because a pair’s divorced doesn’t imply that the person’s story is now not fascinating. If something, you wish to sort of see how they navigate via divorce. So I feel that’s one thing that can go down in historical past as one thing we’ve accomplished first after which very efficiently.”
Actuality TV isn’t any stranger to drama, whether or not it’s bodily altercations, lawsuits, or messy firings; it’s uncommon for successful present to thrive with out chaos spilling off-screen. But, below Kingdom Reign, King has constructed a slate of exhibits that maintain audiences hooked with out getting him or his solid canceled.
By his hit podcast Actuality with the King, King is ready to dive deeper into the world of actuality tv with stars previous and current to unpack untold tales, revisit unfinished drama, and provides followers the behind-the-scenes tea they crave. For King, these conversations aren’t simply leisure; they provide him priceless perception he can deliver again to his personal productions.
“The great thing about my podcast, Actuality with the King, is I’m all the time in a position to have takeaways from my interviews, whether or not it’s being on a private degree or skilled degree,” he says. “I all the time take a look at conditions and say, ‘Huh, possibly there’s alternatives to, you recognize, rearrange the best way we do enterprise with this individual or that individual or this present or that present.’ It’s been a pleasure and a privilege of being in that place as a method of me because the proprietor of the corporate, to say, ‘Wow, I really feel horrible that they handled that.’ However I additionally have to take stock and say, ‘What do I have to do to make it possible for no one on my present feels the identical method.’”
King has skilled all of it, going from taking orders to giving them, and within the course of, he’s mastered each angle of the media sport. That’s no small feat, particularly for a Black man carving out area in such a aggressive trade. Now, as the following technology of Black creatives works to safe offers that defend each their possession and their imaginative and prescient, King has some recommendation of his personal to share.
“It’s OK to invoke change in your objectives. It’s important to take a look at the place your explicit trade is at from a inventive degree, monetary degree, enterprise degree, and discover methods to be adaptive,” he mentioned. “And it doesn’t imply that you just’re not residing as much as your potential. It simply implies that the kind of place that you just thought you’ll have, it’s a must to look general and say, ‘Huh, the place is that this enterprise at this explicit time?’ And if you happen to actually do this and perceive that the revolutionary methods will come out of it. And also you want to have the ability to settle for the change, settle for the innovation. And it’s OK to generally say, ‘Let me regroup and work out issues in one other method.’ Don’t really feel indebted to 1 factor, one individual, one enterprise, one place, in case your coronary heart and soul is telling you to do one thing completely different.”
King continues. “So with me, I had a good time producing exhibits as a showrunner. And it wasn’t something dangerous that occurred. Nevertheless it was my soul saying ‘There’s one thing extra it is advisable do.’ And that’s what I took the leap of religion to do it.”
“So cease ready for one thing dangerous to occur so as so that you can search change that your soul and spirit is telling you that your time is now to do one thing else.”
With greater than 25 producer credit, successful podcast increasing his affect in actuality TV, and a manufacturing firm that anchors OWN’s primetime lineup, King has absolutely realized his imaginative and prescient of being an agent of change in tv. Nonetheless, he approaches his success with humility, seeing himself not simply as a trailblazer however as somebody opening doorways for the following technology of Black media entrepreneurs.
“The largest factor for me is ensuring that they perceive at first that I’m identical to them. Simply because my profession has, you recognize, been publicized, it doesn’t make me non-relatable,” King says, earlier than reflecting on his journey from showrunner to CEO.
“If something, it’s ensuring that they see someone who, whether or not you’re a producer, a cam operator, sound individual, is admittedly simply seeing someone who began off as an intern, then a PA, after which had each single place after that, was in a position to turn into an entrepreneur as a result of it’s what works for me,” he says. “Entrepreneurship will not be for everyone, and I feel individuals ought to perceive their sturdy go well with to see if it’s finest to be within the driver’s seat or is it finest to be a passenger? And I feel now we have to actually discuss concerning the success that passengers have, and I don’t assume that will get talked about sufficient.
“Everyone desires to be an entrepreneur, however lots of people don’t have the stamina. They only don’t have the abdomen to cope with it.
“It’s not simple in any respect. So take a look at what your sturdy fits are in any enterprise that you just’re doing, after which apply it that works finest for you, your persona, after which rent the proper individuals to do the opposite jobs that you just’re gonna be good at.”
King remembers being belittled or berated by superiors, experiences that stayed with him and now drive him to deal with everybody he encounters with respect and to guide by instance. Relating to his legacy, King desires to indicate underdogs and the principled gamers within the cutthroat leisure world that staying true, sustaining integrity, and treating others with respect can finally result in their second within the highlight.
“I would love for each one who has ever been the underdog to know that underdogs turn into prime canines and that good guys and ladies they usually do end first,” he says. “I do consider in that, sure, be sturdy, arise for your self and choose your battles. However, additionally, you don’t should be this maniacal, imply human so as to be revered. An, sure, we might have grown up and see that be rewarded, however I’ve additionally seen these individuals fall from grace.”
King continues, “So keep true to who you’re, keep humble, be type, arise for your self, get your level throughout, however don’t ever really feel the have to be imply. And I feel that’s the most important factor that I’ve realized. I’ve realized from individuals who have been imply to me as an intern or a PA or as an govt. And I knew how that made me really feel, and I vowed to by no means make anybody I are available in contact with ever really feel that method. So I feel there’s additionally room for fulfillment in that. Prefer it’s OK to be a sort individual, however please arise for your self. And standing up for your self doesn’t imply a yelling match.”
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