Byron Allen's $20B Lawsuit vs Comcast, Charter Moves Forward

A federal appeals court is keeping a $20 billion lawsuit against Comcast alive, Deadline reports, as both the Center City Philadelphia-based company and Charter continue to fight accusations from Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios Networks alleging the companies discriminated against the company in selecting programming.

Allen, who recently bought The Weather Channel, said both companies violated the Civil Rights Act and also levied serious accusations of racism at Charter, which is facing a $10 billion lawsuit. In court documents, a Charter executive is accused of telling a group of protesters to “get off welfare” and that at an industry event, its CEO called Allen, “boy.”

Charter said in a statement the allegations are "a desperate tactic that this programmer has used before with other distributors,” and that the company is "disappointed with today’s decision and will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims.”

According to the Philly Business Journal, Comcast's statement was much more reserved, saying it “respectfully” disagrees with the judge's decision, and is reviewing it and considering options.

The news of the appeal court decision, which will send the case back to trials court. It also follows the announcement Comcast added two brand new independent stations, Cleo TV and Afro, to its channel line-up.

The two additions fulfill Comcast’s agreement to air 10 new independent stations, eight minority-owned, as part of the company's 2011 consent decree that allowed the NBCUniversal merger to move forward. Afro is described as a “polycultural black network” from Florida-based Afrotainment and Cleo TV, from media company Urban One Inc., is focused on lifestyle and entertainment programming for young women of color.