Byron Allen Is Officially the Owner of 24 Stations in 20 Markets

By Tadi Abedje Published: July 16, 2021

Byron Allen Is Officially the Owner of 24 Stations in 20 Markets

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2019 file photo, comedian and media mogul Byron Allen poses for a picture Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Supreme Court has thrown out a lower court ruling in favor of a black media mogul and comedian who’s suing cable giant Comcast for racial discrimination. The justices agreed unanimously Monday that an appeals court applied the wrong legal standard in allowing business owner Byron Allen’s $20 billion lawsuit against Comcast to go forward.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

By: Tadi Abedje

This is another successful transaction for Byron Allen, as he continues to grow his entertainment company called Allen Media Group. The purchase of WJRT-TV from Gray Television this week was the 24th TV station that he has acquired.

In 2019, Allen created Allen Media Broadcasting. According to its website, their mission is “to build a television group by acquiring Number One rated stations, Big Four affiliates with strong local news operations targeting university towns and state capitals that are deeply ingrained in the fabric of their communities.”

When Allen was a kid growing up in Detroit, Michigan, he developed a passion for the entertainment industry. He started out his career as a comedian at the age of 14, as he went to Los Angeles, California, to perform at comedy clubs. During that time, Allen was invited by ex-Good Times star Jimmie Walker to join a comedian team that featured Jay Leno and David Letterman.

He then transferred from the comedy world to behind-the-screen, where he hosted TV shows like The Byron Allen Show and Entertainers with Byron Allen. Allen made his first business move in 1993 when he created Entertainment Studios in Los Angeles.

“I never ever had an image in my mind of failing. I just knew innately I would get it done. It’s just, it was never a thought, never once did I have a thought that I wouldn’t get to where I’m planning to get to,” Allen said in an interview with Paul C. Brunson about his media career.

He is hopeful that his next business transaction is to purchase CNN.