Byron Allen (born 1961) is an American comedian, television and film producer, and businessman. He was born Byron Allen Folks but dropped his surname when he began performing as a comedian. In 1979, when he was 18 years old, Allen became the youngest stand-up comic to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He later cohosted Real People (1979–84) and hosted Entertainers with Byron Allen (1993– ). From 1989 to 1992 he hosted the late-night talk show The Byron Allen Show. In 1993 he founded what would become Allen Media Group, serving as CEO and chair. In the ensuing years the privately owned company acquired 10 national television channels, including the Weather Channel, and produced numerous comedy and courtroom TV shows, among others. By the early 2020s Allen Media had an estimated value of $4.5 billion.
On May 22, 2026, the company’s Comics Unleashed (2006– ), which is hosted by Allen, replaced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015–26) in CBS’s 11:35 pm Eastern Time slot. It was followed by Funny You Should Ask (2017– ), another of the company’s programs, at 12:35 am.