Byron Allen Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

EXCLUSIVE: Allen Media Group’s free streaming service for local news and entertainment Local Now announced today a partnership to include live streaming of local PBS stations and that network’s Kids 24/7 channel. Local Now’s audience will have access to PBS’s award-winning content, from locally-produced shows to high-quality educational series to viewer favorites like PBS Newshour, Frontline and Antiques Roadshow.

CBS has set a date for Byron Allen presents theGrio Awards special where African-American excellence is honored. Co-hosted by Sheryl Underwood from The Talk and Taye Diggs, the two-hour award show will air on Saturday, Nov. 26 starting at 8 p.m. ET.

It’s all Jamie Kennedy, all 24/7 on the new Jamie Kennedy Channel on Allen Media Group’s digital platform Local Now.

Hulu is adding 14 new channels to its pay-TV package in the coming weeks, among them Hallmark Channel and the Weather Channel.

EXCLUSIVE: Allen Media Group, the African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform founded by Byron Allen, is set to launch The Grio With Eboni K. Williams and The Grio with Marc Lamont Hill, a daily two-hour news block beginning Monday, October 24. It will also be available via TheGrio streaming app.

The inaugural gala for The Grio Awards are set to honor icons, leaders and legends like Tyler Perry, Patti LaBelle, Dave Chappelle and Normal Lear.

EJ Panaligan editor Allen Media Group’s African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform theGrio has announced the inaugural The Grio Awards. The black-tie event will take place at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, October 22th with co-hosts comedian Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs. The award show’s inaugural honorees are slated to attend in-person, including: The event will also feature special musical performances by Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, Fantasia and LaBelle. Greg Phillinganes will serve as musical director, and DJ Kiss will serve as both DJ and announcer. Additional guests slated to attend include Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judge Christine Perez, Dave Winfield, Judge Lauren Lake, Judge Mabelean Efphram, April Ryan, Natasha Alford, Michael Harriot, Panama Jackson, Nikole Hannah Jones, Ben Chavis and Marla Gibbs.

EXCLUSIVE: Oliver de la Hoz has been hired as Chief Financial Officer of Allen Media Digital, a division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG).

2ND UPDATE, 2:45 PM: A federal judge in Los Angeles today rejected a motion to dismiss Byron Allen’s $10 billion lawsuit against McDonald’s Corp that alleges racial discrimination.

In this newly-created role, Ghee will help AMG’s senior advertising and marketing executives to strategically work with brands for significant partnerships with the AMG portfolio, including theGrio digital, broadcast, and television network platforms, as well as the HBCU GO streaming app and the global HBCU GO sports network. Ghee is based at the AMG offices in New York City.

Allen Media Group’s streaming platform HBCU Go is huddling with CBS O&O duopoly stations on a nationwide carriage deal for the 2022-23 sports season. Key markets in include Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami, and Pittsburgh.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterByron Allen’s free streaming service HBCU Go has struck a nationwide licensing agreement with CBS stations that will run through the 2022-2023 college football season.Under the distribution pact between the Allen Media Group-owned digital platform, which focuses on coverage of the U.S.’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), HBCU Go’s sports programming will be carried on CBS owned-and-operated duopoly stations in these key TV markets: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami and Pittsburgh.As a result of the new CBS stations deal, HBCU Go — which recently got the rights to air premier NCAA Division 2 HBCU conference sporting events in a pact with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) — will be available in 60% of U.S. television households and 70% African-American households.

Veteran academic, author, activist and television host Marc Lamont Hill will join AMG’s Black news/entertainment media platform theGrio. Hill will bring his perspectives on culture, politics, race, sports, and education to all of theGrio media platforms, including its television network, free streaming app, theGrio news/entertainment website, and the new theGrio Black Podcast Network.

Angelique Jackson Byron Allen’s Black news and entertainment media platform theGrio will present a 90-minute session at the 2022 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention and career fair, with a focus on the recently-launched theGrio Black Podcast Network (TGBPN) and the Allen Media Group’s acquisition of Black News Channel.The annual NABJ convention, held in collaboration with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), begins Aug. 3 in Las Vegas, NV, with theGrio making its presentation on Fri.

“Dear Zoe,” the coming-of-age drama starring “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink, has been acquired by Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media and will hit theaters and digital platforms on Nov. 4, 2022.Sink stars as Tess, a young woman grappling with the immeasurable and shattering death of her younger sister, Zoe (Mckenzie Noel Rusiewicz).

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group is set to acquire Black News Channel out of bankruptcy for $11 million from billionaire Shahid Khan, owner of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars franchise.

EXCLUSIVE: Dear Zoe, a drama film starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), has been acquired by Byron Allen’s Freestyle Digital Media and is set to be released in select theaters and on demand beginning November 4, 2022.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has promoted Michael Senzon to President of Digital, overseeing the company’s worldwide direct-to-consumer and streaming portfolio. He had been SVP Digital and General Manager of AMG’s streaming platform Local Now.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe executives at the company that owns cable’s venerable Weather Channel know they have a popular service. The network has been around since 1982. Now they hope lightning will strike twice.A live-stream of the outlet will be made available via app for connected TV sets, and subscribers who already get the cable version can get it by providing details of their provider.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG) television networks division announced its launch of select television networks nationwide on the Cox Contour TV lineup. The three Allen Media Group networks are:

Diamond Sports Group has made a call to the bullpen.

CBS News and The Weather Channel have announced a partnership on weather reporting and technology.

Byron Allen’s media companies — Weather Group, Entertainment Studios Networks (ESN) and CF Entertainment — have sued Nielsen, seeking billions of dollars in damages for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation and fraud by concealment.

Just in time for SXSW, Byron Allen’s Digital Freestyle Releasing has promoted Bill Vergos to Head of Digital Film Distribution. He had been VP Operations & Sales since 2015.

Galatt was first VP of advertising sales, and then promoted to president of advertising sales for the AMG Global Syndication division. In his newly-elevated position, Galatt will continue to be responsible for advertising, sponsorships, and new business development across the full portfolio of the AMG broadcast syndication, television networks, and digital platforms.

Allen Media Group announced that its fast-growing, free streaming platform, Local Now, has signed PBS Digital Studios to offer viewers curated PBS Digital Studios content. Starting today, PBS Digital Studios content will be available on the Local Now streaming platform. Streamers can expect an awesome line-up of PBS Digital Studios content including hit series, BE SMART, EONS, SOUND FIELD and much more.

EXCLUSIVE: Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG) proudly announces the promotion of Nora Zimmett to President of News and Original Series for Weather Group. Her previous title was Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, overseeing live and original programming for The Weather Channel, as well as its world-renowned storm coverage.

Byron Allen is planning to bid for the Denver Broncos, a move that could make the Allen Media Group CEO the first minority owner of an NFL team. The news comes as the League is in the midst of controversy and lawsuit over coaching diversity.

Shares in local TV station owner Tegna jumped more than 7% today after a report it is in advanced talks to sell itself to Standard General, one of its largest shareholders.