10 Jan Byron Allen Hires Shaun Williams as CFO Overseeing Allen Media Studios

The new group comprises TV, film, digital and streaming content production and distribution.

By Etan Vlessing

Byron Allen’s newly launched Allen Media Studios has hired Shaun Williams as chief financial officer.

Williams most recently served as CFO at indie Solstice Studios, and before that was head of finance at the London-based indie studio ALL3Media and CFO for Studio 8. He also had executive roles at Graham King’s GK Films/Film District banner, BET Networks and 20th Century Fox.

With Allen Media Studios, Williams will oversee financial operations for the film, TV and digital production division, based in Los Angeles. “Shaun’s extensive accounting, financial, and operations experience makes him the ideal executive team leader as we continue to invest significant amounts of capital in content production, digital platforms, and global distribution,” Byron Allen, founder, chairman, and CEO of Allen Media Group, said in a statement.

Allen Media Studios produces and distributes TV content for the Allen Media Television division, theatrical and digital movie content for its Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures and Freestyle Digital Media divisions, and produces and distributes digital content for the free-streaming platforms Local Now, The Grio.TV, HBCUGo, and Sports.TV.

“Mr. Allen has amassed an unparalleled collection of assets which makes Allen Media Group ideally suited to take advantage of tremendous growth opportunities ahead. Allen Media Studios is extremely well-positioned for greater market share and success. I look forward to accelerating production and distribution output across Allen Media’s expanding portfolio of broadcast television stations, broadcast television networks, cable networks, motion pictures, and direct-to-consumer streaming platforms,” Williams said in his own statement.

Allen Media, which owns and operates local TV stations in 27 markets, also owns another 12 networks, including The Weather Channel and the free streaming service Local Now.