Allen Media Group Adds Veteran Program Distribution Execs

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
last updated

Kevin O'Donnell named executive VP; Mark McKay named senior VP

Kevin O'Donnell Mark McKay Allen Media Group
Kevin O'Donnell (l.) and Mark McKay have joined Allen Media Group. (Image credit: Allen Media Group)

Byron Allen's Allen Media Group said it hired Kevin O'Donnell as executive VP, sales manager, and Mark McKay as senior VP of sales, bolstering its syndicated programming sales unit.

O'Connell had been with NBCUniversal for 21 years as a senior VP working on shows including Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, Steve Harvey, Kelly Clarkson, The Office, 30 Rack and Fear Factor.

He is based in Charleston, South Carolina.

McKay spent 19 years at Warner Bros. as a VP with Warner Bros. Television. He helped launch Ellen DeGeneres, Friends and TMZ in syndication.

McKay is based in Dallas.

Allen has been hiring experienced execs from major companies as he expands his media empire.

"At a time when many media companies are downsizing, Allen Media Group continues to invest in, and expand our dedicated, strategic, and focused sales and distribution team," said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. "As we prepare to celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2023, Allen Media Group is strategically positioned for increased distribution of our high-quality, family-friendly content." ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.