Byron Allen has his checkbook out again, making a deal to buy WCOV-TV in Montgomery, Alabama, for $28.5 million from Woods Communications Crop.
Allen Media Group expects the transaction to close next year. Including WCOV, Allen Media Broadcasting would increase its size to 36 stations across 21 broadcast markets.
With its digital signal, WCOV provides viewers in Montgomery with multiple programming streams. In addition to Fox on channel 20.1, it broadcasts Antenna TV on 20.2 and, This TV on 20.3. Allen Media Group acquired This TV from MGM in 2020.
As part of the deal Allen also acquires WIYC-TV, which is licensed in Troy, Alabama, and broadcasts Cozi TV, MyNetwork TV, Heroes & Icons, Court TV Mysteries, TBA, Comet and Charge!, and WALE-TV, in Montgomery, which broadcasts True Crime Network, Laff, Court TV, Jewelry Television, Movies!, Heroes & Icons and Comet.
"The acquisition by Allen Media Group will allow WCOV, WIYC and WALE to become even more competitive in the future and well-positioned for the advancing world of broadcast television," said David Woods of Woods Communications.
"We've known Byron Allen since 1980 when he was a co-host of the NBC program Real People," Woods said. "We have followed Allen as he started a small production company and worked hard in order to build a massive, diversified global entertainment company involved with numerous divisions, all of which revolve around consuming content on various size screens. Byron Allen has a reputation for hiring the best executives in each of the companies he owns. We have observed his growth for over 40 years and admire what he has achieved. Byron Allen is a true American entrepreneur. We feel blessed to become part of the Allen Media Group family.”
In the second half of this year, Allen acquired KIKU-TV, Honolulu, completed the $380 million purchase of 10 stations that had to be divested by Gray Television as part of its purchase of Quincy media, and bought WJRT-TV from Gray. for $70 million.
“WCOV-TV is an excellent asset and has been extremely well-managed for decades by the Woods family, who I’ve known for over 35 years,” said Byron Allen, founder, chair, and CEO of Allen Media Group.
“Over the past two years, we've invested approximately $1 billion to acquire best-in-class, top-tier, Big 4 broadcast network affiliates and we plan to invest significantly more to acquire additional ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox television stations with the goal of being the largest broadcast television group in America,” Allen said. “All of our media assets work in concert to amplify our free-streaming services theGrio.TV, Sports.TV, HBCUGo.TV, The Weather Channel en Español, and Local Now.” ■
