Entertainment Studios, Inc., one of the largest independent producers and distributors of film and television, with 43 shows on the air, and owner of nine 24-hour HD television networks now serving nearly 160 million subscribers — including The Weather Channel television network and its streaming service Local Now — proudly announces the conclusion of its acquisition of Bayou City Broadcasting Evansville, Inc., and Bayou City Broadcasting Lafayette, Inc. The Federal Communications Commission formally consented to transfer the television station licenses to Allen in mid-June, with Allen formally assuming control of the station groups on July 3, 2019. Allen purchased the station groups through his company, Allen Media Broadcasting LLC.
Byron Allen, who recently joined Sinclair Broadcast Group to successfully acquire the Fox/Disney 21 Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) for $10.6 billion, and also purchased The Weather Channel in 2018, has publicly stated he has been aggressively pursuing additional media assets to purchase. The purchase of these four Bayou City Broadcasting entities — WEVV (CBS) & WEEV (Fox) in Evansville, Indiana and KLAF (NBC) and KADN (Fox) in Lafayette, Louisiana — provides Allen’s television unit with a broader audience and strategically positions the company in broadcast and digital media.
“Byron Allen is a visionary, and a brilliant entrepreneur who always gets it done,” said Bayou City Broadcasting Owner/President/CEO DuJuan McCoy. “Byron Allen’s companies, which exemplify excellence, are perfectly positioned to continue the strong tradition these stations have in serving their communities.”
“DuJuan McCoy is an outstanding broadcaster and he has done a phenomenal job of assembling a strong management team to operate these network affiliate stations,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Entertainment Studios/Allen Media LLC. “This is another milestone for our company, as we have now agreed to purchase our very first broadcast television stations and continue to look for other opportunities to grow our global media company through strategic acquisitions.”
Allen’s expansion into broadcast television is the latest step Entertainment Studios has taken in further expanding the global reach of its programming and content. The Entertainment Studios divisions now include: broadcast television network affiliates, streaming services, broadcast television syndication, production and distribution of 43 television programs, nine 24/7 HD television networks, theatrical motion picture production, acquisition and global distribution, digital movie acquisition and distribution, and global news publishing – making Entertainment Studios one of the largest privately-held media companies in the world. Entertainment Studios is one hundred percent owned by Byron Allen, who started the company from his dining room table 26 years ago.
