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Allen Media Group
Allen Media Group, alternately known by its former name of Entertainment Studios, Inc. is an American media and entertainment company based in Los Angeles. Owned and founded in 1993 by businessman Byron Allen, the company was initially involved in the production and distribution of first-run television series for American television syndication. Under the Entertainment Studios Networks division, it also operates a group of digital cable and satellite channels, which broadcast a mix of original programs and the company's syndicated content.
In the late 2010s, the company made several major expansions to its operations, including entering the film distribution market; acquiring The Weather Channel from NBCUniversal and Bain Capital; partnering with Sinclair Broadcast Group to operate the regional sports network chain Bally Sports via Diamond Sports Group; and its acquisition of television stations from another minority-owned media group, Bayou City Broadcasting.
With television experience as being a former co-host of the NBC series Real People from 1979 until 1984, stand-up comedian Byron Allen launched his own weekly syndicated late-night talk show, The Byron Allen Show, in 1989. It was produced by his BYCA Productions and Allbritton Communications, and distributed by Genesis Entertainment.
By 1991, Allen had created BYCA Television Distribution to take over distribution of his talk show as well as syndicate other programs. By early 1993, Allen's talk show, which became a weeknight strip the previous fall, had been cancelled, and BYCA Television Distribution had been embroiled in a lawsuit filed by former employees who claimed they hadn't been paid by Allen. Amidst the legal and financial issues, creditors forced BYCA into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The same year, Allen founded CF Entertainment. Following a similar business model to BYCA, Allen was able to succeed where he had failed before by focusing on producing low-cost, syndicated non-fiction programming, including interview series and court shows (largely scripted from actual testimony). Allen served as host for some of these programs. In December 2003, CF became Entertainment Studios. Entertainment Studios green-lit its first film and stage projects in December 2011, when it acquired the rights to develop a biographical film and theatrical play on the life of Sammy Davis Jr. from his daughter, Tracey Davis.
The company ventured into scripted programming in 2012, with the third-quarter launch of the sitcoms Mr. Box Office and The First Family. Both were set for 104 episodes over two years under a model of accelerated production similar to Debmar-Mercury's 10-90 Model. The two half-hour shows were picked up as a two-hour weekend primetime programming block with two episodes of each show back to back by Tribune, Weigel and CBS Television Station groups.
The company launched its eighth cable channel and first ad-supported service, Justice Central.TV, on December 10, 2012.
In 2015, the company separately sued AT&T, Comcast, and Charter Communications for racial discrimination in being biased against minority-run entertainment companies in not carrying its cable channels. AT&T settled in December with the addition of 7 of Entertainment Studios' channels added to AT&T's DirecTV lineup. Entertainment Studios added similar suits against Charter and the FCC. The Comcast case, though initially dismissed at the district court, was allowed to go forward by the Ninth Circuit; Comcast was able to successfully petition the Supreme Court to hear its case in Comcast v. National Association of African-American-Owned Media in November 2019.
In October 2015, Entertainment Studios acquired Freestyle Releasing for an undisclosed amount "said to be sealed for high-eight figures". Freestyle also had an output deal with Netflix. The Freestyle purchase was used to bolster an expansion into film distribution, via its new Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures division. Its first release, 47 Meters Down, took in $44 million in box office revenue.
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Allen Media Group
Allen Media Group, alternately known by its former name of Entertainment Studios, Inc. is an American media and entertainment company based in Los Angeles. Owned and founded in 1993 by businessman Byron Allen, the company was initially involved in the production and distribution of first-run television series for American television syndication. Under the Entertainment Studios Networks division, it also operates a group of digital cable and satellite channels, which broadcast a mix of original programs and the company's syndicated content.
In the late 2010s, the company made several major expansions to its operations, including entering the film distribution market; acquiring The Weather Channel from NBCUniversal and Bain Capital; partnering with Sinclair Broadcast Group to operate the regional sports network chain Bally Sports via Diamond Sports Group; and its acquisition of television stations from another minority-owned media group, Bayou City Broadcasting.
With television experience as being a former co-host of the NBC series Real People from 1979 until 1984, stand-up comedian Byron Allen launched his own weekly syndicated late-night talk show, The Byron Allen Show, in 1989. It was produced by his BYCA Productions and Allbritton Communications, and distributed by Genesis Entertainment.
By 1991, Allen had created BYCA Television Distribution to take over distribution of his talk show as well as syndicate other programs. By early 1993, Allen's talk show, which became a weeknight strip the previous fall, had been cancelled, and BYCA Television Distribution had been embroiled in a lawsuit filed by former employees who claimed they hadn't been paid by Allen. Amidst the legal and financial issues, creditors forced BYCA into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The same year, Allen founded CF Entertainment. Following a similar business model to BYCA, Allen was able to succeed where he had failed before by focusing on producing low-cost, syndicated non-fiction programming, including interview series and court shows (largely scripted from actual testimony). Allen served as host for some of these programs. In December 2003, CF became Entertainment Studios. Entertainment Studios green-lit its first film and stage projects in December 2011, when it acquired the rights to develop a biographical film and theatrical play on the life of Sammy Davis Jr. from his daughter, Tracey Davis.
The company ventured into scripted programming in 2012, with the third-quarter launch of the sitcoms Mr. Box Office and The First Family. Both were set for 104 episodes over two years under a model of accelerated production similar to Debmar-Mercury's 10-90 Model. The two half-hour shows were picked up as a two-hour weekend primetime programming block with two episodes of each show back to back by Tribune, Weigel and CBS Television Station groups.
The company launched its eighth cable channel and first ad-supported service, Justice Central.TV, on December 10, 2012.
In 2015, the company separately sued AT&T, Comcast, and Charter Communications for racial discrimination in being biased against minority-run entertainment companies in not carrying its cable channels. AT&T settled in December with the addition of 7 of Entertainment Studios' channels added to AT&T's DirecTV lineup. Entertainment Studios added similar suits against Charter and the FCC. The Comcast case, though initially dismissed at the district court, was allowed to go forward by the Ninth Circuit; Comcast was able to successfully petition the Supreme Court to hear its case in Comcast v. National Association of African-American-Owned Media in November 2019.
In October 2015, Entertainment Studios acquired Freestyle Releasing for an undisclosed amount "said to be sealed for high-eight figures". Freestyle also had an output deal with Netflix. The Freestyle purchase was used to bolster an expansion into film distribution, via its new Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures division. Its first release, 47 Meters Down, took in $44 million in box office revenue.