The media mogul — who is aggressively trying to purchase West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Paxson Communications Corp., a group of about 60 broadcast TV stations, for $2.2 billion — took the time this summer to do something for his mom: He bought her a gated $5-million house in the Hollywood Hills.
The former comedian, 44, purchased the four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot home so his mother, Carolyn Folks, could live closer to him. Folks had been living in Allen’s Century City condo since he bought a $3.8-million Hollywood Hills house for himself in February 2004.
Now she has a house that is about the same size as her son’s. His was built in 2001, while hers, constructed in 1961, underwent a total renovation last year. It has Carrara marble floors, a Calcutta marble fireplace mantle, fingerprint recognition security and city-to-ocean views.
Allen also has purchased a place for himself, at $4.5 million, in Trump Towers on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. As founder, chairman and chief executive of Entertainment Studios Corp., an independent producer-distributor of first-run TV programming, Allen splits his time between L.A. and New York.
When not managing his company, Allen appears on camera as host of the talk shows “EntertainmentStudios.com” and “Entertainers With Byron Allen.” Both shows have been on the air for 12 years.
Allen’s interest in show business began when he regularly went after school to his mother’s office at NBC where she worked as a publicist. At 14 he became a stand-up comic at the Comedy Store. At 18 he made his debut on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.” He co-hosted the NBC series “Real People” from 1979 to 1984.
Allen established his production company in 1993. While sitting at his dining room table, he called 1,300 TV stations for more than a year to launch his first show.
His firm has since produced and now owns more than 3,000 hours of TV programming and has 15 syndicated shows on TV. It finances, produces and distributes TV programs around the world.
If he buys the financially troubled Paxson, Allen will target an African American audience, he has said. The Firm, a Beverly Hills talent agency, also has expressed interest in the network.
Terence Hill of BT Equities, Century City, represented Allen in his real estate purchases and manages Allen’s portfolio of residential and commercial properties.