Verizon claims it got threats from Byron Allen, owner of the Weather Channel, over alleged race discrimination
1. Byron Allen threatens Verizon over alleged racial discrimination related to ad spending. 2. Verizon is cutting ad budget with Allen's media group from $15M to $5M. 3. Company officials assert discrimination claims are baseless and amount to shakedown. 4. Allen has previous wins in lawsuits against major media companies over discrimination. 5. Verizon's history includes partnerships promoting diversity initiatives with Allen.