Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group said it hired Christopher Young as chief financial officer of its The Weather Channel unit.
Young will also serve as executive VP of Allen Media Group, the parent company, which has been tightening its belt and laying off staffers. The company’s TV stations have also reportedly been slow in paying programming fees to the networks with which they are affiliated.
Young had previously been CFO at Spanish-language media company Entravision Communications and will report to Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, and Christopher Malone, executive VP and CFO of AMG.
He replaces Bill Higgs as CFO at The Weather Channel. Higgs retired.
“Chris brings extensive finance and operational experience in the media industry spanning over three decades. His strong expertise and tenured capital markets background are valuable assets,” Allen said. “Chris adds great depth to our executive leadership team, and he will be instrumental to our business as we continue to grow rapidly and execute on a number of long-term strategic initiatives.”
Before Entravision, Young was president of Vista Media. He also worked with the Bank of Montreal, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and Chase Manhattan Bank.
“I have been following Allen Media Group’s growth for years and I’m thoroughly impressed with what Byron and his talented executive team have accomplished,“ Young said. “Simply put, because of their vision, drive, and discipline, Allen Media Group consistently outperforms the industry. I look forward to working with the Allen Media Group team to help execute our continued growth and long-term strategies.”