Entertainment Studios CEO Byron Allen attacked the Rev. Al Sharpton, Comcast and NBC Universal on Sunday, telling CNN that that companies make token donations to Sharpton's organization in an effort to cover their own racial discrimination issues.
Allen and other minority business owners have sued Comcast, NBC Universal, Time Warner Cable, Sharpton and the NAACP.
Appearing Sunday on CNN's
"Reliable Sources," Allen said that Comcast and Time Warner Cable each carry only one black-owned channel.
He also called Sharpton, who hosts a nightly show on MSNBC part of "a sham, undertaken to whitewash Comcast’s discriminatory business practices." Sharpton's show gets "notoriously low ratings," Allen noted, but he remains on the schedule.
Allen said it is easier for businesses to donate to Sharpton's National Action Network, the NAACP or The Urban League than to work with black-owned businesses such as his own.
"What America needs to understand is that Al Sharpton does not speak for me," Allen said. "Al Sharpton does not speak for black people. It’s like I ask people, ‘Who is the white person that speaks for you?’ It’s racist to even believe that Al Sharpton is the go-to black person."
He also blasted Sony Pictures for meeting with Sharpton to try to negate "your racist emails about President Obama."
Companies including Wal-Mart, Chrysler, and McDonald's give money to Sharpton rather than diversify their businesses because Sharpton is the "least expensive negro," Allen said, repeating a line he said to the Huffington Post last week.
On CNN, he doubled down, saying media conglomerates "don’t really do business with real African-American owned companies, just make a token — give him $50,000 and a bucket of chicken and we’re good."
Allen praised Obama work to legalize same-sex marriage, but said that even the president "has been bought and paid for," because he has taken donations from Comcast.
"Listen, Obama, your own FTC is investigating AT&T for throttling. How can you even consider them to buy DirecTV when you’re suing them?," Allen said. "Is it because you took donations? Yes, Obama. Don’t even think about letting them merge until they settle this lawsuit and that lawsuit."
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