Byron Allen Wants to Replace Stephen Colbert

Byron Allen, whose company has recently enacted significant layoffs across its local television stations, is making a public push to replace Stephen Colbert as the host of CBS's 11:30 p.m. time slot.

Even though Colbert has seven months left on his contract for The Late Show, Allen has made it clear he wants the job.

“Let me be clear…if they are looking for a show, my hand is already up,” Allen said Wednesday during a conversation at Advertising Week New York. “Fifty years I have been waiting for this moment, definitely I am going for it.”

Allen's pitch to the network is centered on a low-budget production model, a stark contrast to the financial situation at his own company. Allen Media Group has seen widespread staff cuts at many of its local TV stations. Still, Allen is telling CBS he can save them money. “Why would you spend $35 million on a television show at that hour?" Allen asked. "I will happily produce the show, and you can save that $35 [million], $40 million and spend it elsewhere.”

Allen's show, Comics Unleashed, already airs on CBS at 12:30 a.m., a slot it took over after the network ended After Midnight. He explained that his show is designed to be "evergreen," featuring no topical or political humor.

“The thing I said to them [the participating comics] was, in television, you don’t have to be the funniest, you have to be the most likable,” Allen commented on his show's philosophy.

CBS has not announced its plans for the 11:30 p.m. time slot after Colbert’s departure, other than to say it will not be a reboot of The Late Show with a new host. It remains to be seen if Allen's low-cost pitch will appeal to the network's executives.