After making it known in September that he’s interested in acquiring ABC from Disney for a price tag of $10 billion, Byron Allen assures Variety he still has his eyes set on ABC and promises he’s ready play ball when Disney is ready to sell.
“I think ABC’s a real possibility. They say they’re not ready,” Allen said at the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery’s Visionary Ball on Wednesday night. “When they’re ready I’m going to chase it down like a lion chases down a gazelle.”
Allen’s original bid was targeted at ABC, eight local TV stations and Disney-owned cable networks FX and National Geographic Channel. But, he’s since considered downsizing the ask.
“The one thing that needs to be in the shopping cart to keep my interest is ABC and the ABC owned-and-operated stations — and I wouldn’t mind if they threw in ‘Kelly and Mark’ and ‘Tamron Hall,'” Allen told Variety.
The entertainment mogul’s longtime friend, Jeffrey Katzenberg, was also in attendance as he presented Allen with UCLA’s Visionary Award.
In his acceptance speech, Allen thanked many of his peers in the entertainment industry as well as his family, calling his mother his “very first blessing.”
“When we first got here, we slept on a lot of floors and we slept on a lot of sofas. We slept in a lot of spare bedrooms for several years,” he shared. “Over time, we were able to get our own place, and this amazing organization, UCLA — this unbelievable institution — opened the doors. They let my mother become a student in 1971 and that changed the game…So I want to thank UCLA for changing our lives for the better.”
Allen continued to express gratitude for his mother. When she convinced NBC to start an internship program for her, Allen was exposed to the world of comedy, watching Johnny Carson, Flip Wilson and Redd Foxx perform their comedy specials; he was inspired to also become a comedian.
UCLA Children’s Hospital also helped Allen when he had a severe infection in his leg as a child. “They kept me alive, they kept my leg, they didn’t charge me one penny. It is my greatest honor to raise as much money as they ever need. And I’ve always said, call me every day. We must give back. Always give back,” he said.
Allen concluded his speech by sharing that his passion and motivation comes from a conversation he had with Coretta Scott King. She told him that it wasn’t Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech that led to his assassination, but his 1968 speech at Stanford when he said there are two Americas, highlighting economic inequality and warning that this division would lead to the country’s implosion.
Allen was inspired by this story and his path became clear: “I knew I wanted to build the world’s biggest media company. Because media is power.” His vision for unity includes what he calls the “5 E’s”: education, equal justice, economic inclusion, environmental protection and empathy.
A performance by Smokey Robinson concluded the night. He sang several hits from his extensive catalogue including “Tracks of My Tears” and “Tears of a Clown.” Robinson closed out the night with fan-favorite “My Girl.”
“I’m very happy for Byron. I’m here for him, basically,” Robinson told Variety. “I’ve known him since he was a little boy, and I’m just proud of him. I’m very happy for the things that he’s accomplishing in his life.”
