Scripps Networks Interactive #1

Adriana Yorke
scripps-networks-interactive-inc-logo

Source: imeimage.com / Scripps Networks Interactive Logo [1]

9721 Sherrill Blvd
Knoxville, TN, 37932 United States
(865) 694-2700
http://www.scrippsnetworks.com

Key Executives:

Kenneth W. Lowe | Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

Joseph G. Necastro | Chief Development Officer

Burton Jablin | Chief Operating Officer

Henry Ahn | Press Content, Distribution & Marketing

Steven J. Gigliotti | Chief Revenue Officer

Kathleen Finch | Chief Programming, Content & Brand Officer

For the complete list of leaders, visit www.scrippsnetworks.com/leaders.

Company:

SNI-e1363329643555-1024x920

Source: imeimage.com / Scripps Networks Interactive Brands [1]

This is Scripps Networks Interactive.

Scripps Networks Interactive is a leading lifestyle orientated content developer for multimedia platform distribution including television, digital, mobile and publishing. [2] Their company’s holdings include its six national television networks: Food Network, Home and Garden Television, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country, and their award winning associated websites. [3] 

History:

In 1990, the E.W. Scripps Company began to channel its investments into information and entertainment content. In 1994, Scripps obtained Cinetel Productions, a creator of cable programming, and announced their plan to launch Home and Garden Television (HGTV). Capitalizing on the success that HGTV had, E.W. Scripps launched more lifestyle television networks. In 1997, they launched the Food Network that now, along with HGTV reaches over 100 million television households in the US. In 1999, the DIY Network was started, followed by the Fine Living Network just three years later. Great American Country was acquired in 2004, and five years later, the Travel Channel was obtained, rounding out Scripps Networks six-network holdings. [4]

By 2007, The E.W. Scripps Company had evolved into one of America’s most forward thinking companies. In October of that year, the board of directors authorized a separation into two publicly traded companies, one focused on the expanding television lifestyle brands and internet services and the other on local media businesses. The deal was completed on June 30, 2008, and Scripps Networks Interactive was formed on July 1, 2008. [4]

Financial Information:

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 3.43.31 PM

source: scrippsnetworks.com / 2015 Third Quarter Financial Results [20]

Scripps Networks Interactive had unexpected third quarter results with earnings of $124.6 million, with an earnings per share increase to 96 cents. Last quarter, their revenue rose to $776.1 million and they anticipate this carrying over into the fourth quarter. There was a 22.2 percent increase in advertising revenue and 13.5 percent affiliate fee growth, which helped drive this increase. Kenneth Lowe said, “This has been a transformative quarter for Scripps Networks Interactive… With a strategy that enables us to create deeper connections with consumers across the world, we are focused on delivering long-term growth and enhanced shareholder value.” [19]

Acquisition of TVN:

400px-TVN_logo.svg

Source: wikiwand.com / TVN Logo [7]

In September, Scripps Networks Interactive finalized their tender offer for all remaining shares of TVN (TV Nowa), Poland’s premiere multi-platform media company. Prior to this time, Scripps Networks Interactive had owned a majority holding of 52.7 percent of TVN through a deal they worked with Canal+ Group and ITI Group. On March 16th of this year, Scripps Networks Interactive €584 million deal was subjected to regulatory approval, which closed on July 2. At this time, Scripps Networks Interactive announced their intentions to acquire all remaining shares through a public tender offer. [5]

On September 28, Scripps Networks Interactive had obtained 46 percent more of TVN for 3,134.4 million zloty (approximately $833.1 million), or 20.00 zloty (approximately $5.32) per share. With the accumulation of these shares, Scripps Networks Interactive now own 98.8 percent of TVN. They have just finished a squeeze-out process, to obtaining the remaining 1.2 percent of shares. [6]

TVN is available in 86 percent of Polish households and they have numerous lifestyle and entertainment brands, such as TVN StyleTVN Turbo, and Poland’s leading 24-hour news channel, TVN24[7]

Creation of New Senior Rolls:

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Source: LinkedIn / Scripps Networks Interactive executive team [17]

On September 28, Scripps Networks Interactive created new senior management positions intended to boost their marketing efforts, brand recognition, and US network research. These new roles come after the announcement in August that Kathleen Finch was being promoted to the new position of Chief Programmer, Content & Brand for all networks. This follows the promotion of Shannon Jamieson Driver to Senior Vice President, Network Marketing & Creative Services. Prior to this, Jamieson was lead marketer for HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country, and has been accredited with the monumental growth that HGTV had this past year.  She now will be in charge of marketing across all of Scripps networks. Gabriel Gordon has also been promoted to a cross-network role, rising from lead researcher for the Food Network and Cooking Channel to head researcher for all of Scripps Networks Interactive. Following suit, Freddy James and Alaka Williams have also been appointed to new roles that unite the six networks. [8]

These new cross-network positions show Scripps Networks Interactive’s approach to unite the networks and increase brand recognition overall. The network chose industry professionals from within the company that they think have both creative and commercial interests in mind, expanding all six networks potentials and increase audience share. [9]

New Fall Programming:

Scripps Networks Interactive have began creating and launching more unique creative content throughout many of their networks. Along with the return of past hit shows, such as Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America and HGTV’s “Flip or Flop,” they are integrating new programming to their fall lineups. Starting in November, Kelsey Nixon, will become the host of a new show, “Kelsey’s Homemade,” on the Cooking Channel‘s Saturday morning cast [10]. Giada De Laurentiis, a ratings all-star with the Food Network, is launching a seasonal program, “Giada’s Holiday Handbook.” The first episode was aired on the Food Network on November 8, and features a guide to creating culinary masterpieces for entertaining friends and family throughout this holiday season. [11]

Green Team's Duff Goldman and Drew Scott, Red Team's Jonathan Scott and Ron Ben-Israel with Host Egypt Sherrod, as seen on Food Network’s All-Star Gingerbread Build, Special.

Source: businesswire.com / Duff Goldman, Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott and Ron Ben-Israel with Host Egypt Sherrod [13]

The Food Network and HGTV have come together this winter as well to create cross-network programming. On November 28, Food Network and HGTV stars such as Duff GoldmanRon Ben-Israel, and the “Property Brothers” Jonathan and Drew Scott, came together to create a baking and building masterpiece, All-Star Gingerbread Build.” The program was simultaneously cast on both networks, and recast on on November 30 on the Cooking Channel. [12]

Hungry For More Food Network:

The Food Network has begun global expansion, throughout Europe and Australia. On November 6, a German language Food Network was launched for the first time. This lifestyle channel, along with Scripps Networks Interactive’s Fine Living Channel, have partnered with an OTT platform, TV Spielfilm which was launched in July of this year. Both of these channels, along with the Travel Channel, are available in the pay-TV lifestyle package for €2.99 per month. [14]

curtis2

Source: sbs.com.au / Chef Curtis Stone [16]

In Australia, public broadcaster SBS has partnered with Scripps to launch a version of the Food Network. The Food Network began airing down under on November 17 at 1 pm, free for all viewers. Programming was a mix of licensed Food Network shows, like Giada at Home, or Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, and original SBS programming led by Australian personalities, like Chef Curtis Stone. Food Network Australia will be aired 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and all shows will also be available on SBS On Demand. [15]

Future Endeavors:

Scripps Networks Interactive plan to continue to deepen their brand recognition through multi-platform mediums. They will continue to make more original content throughout all of their networks and launch new shows, which will be available through both traditional and OTT methods. They also plan to continue global expansion and plan to maintain and strengthen their position as the number one lifestyle entertainment brand. [18]

Endnotes:

[1] Scripps Networks Interactive LogosNovember 19, 2015.

[2] Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. Company ProfileNovember 21, 2015.

[3] Company Info: Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., November 21, 2015.

[4] Scripps Networks Interactive: History, November 21, 2015.

[5] Scripps Networks Interactive Completes Tender Offer for Polish Media Company TVN, November 23, 2015.

[6] Scripps to Buy Majority Stake in Polish Television GroupNovember 23, 2015.

[7] TVN (Poland), November 23, 2015.

[8] Scripps Networks Interactive Enhances Capabilities Through New Appointments, November 24, 2015.

[9] Scripps Networks Elevates Barton Jablin, Kathleen Finch, November 24, 2015.

[10] Kelsey Nixon Returns to Cooking Channel with New Series, “Kelsey’s Homemade,” November 24, 2015.

[11] Giada De Laurentiis Shares Secrets for Holiday Entertaining in Seasonal Series ‘Giada’s Holiday Handbook,’ November 24, 2015.

[12] HGTV and Food Network Simulcast All-Star Gingerbread Build, November 30, 2015.

[13] HGTV and Food Network Simulcast All-Star Gingerbread Build Nov. 28, November 30, 2015.

[14] Scripps Networks Launches Food Network and Fine Living in Germany, November 21, 2015.

[15] Food Network to Launch Down UnderNovember 21, 2015.

[16] Introducing Your New Foodie Channel, Food Network, November 30, 2015.

[17] LinkedIn: Scripps Networks Interactive, November 30, 2015

[18] Scripps Networks Interactive: Our Brand, November 20, 2015

[19] Scripps Networks Third Quarter Earnings Beat Estimates, December 1, 2015

[20] 2015 Third Quarter Financial Results, November 9, 2015.

Scripps Television Group

by Kayla Schultz

Scripps logo via TheLAW.TV

“Give light and the people will find their own way” [1]

The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP; Price Per Share: $10.54) is a multimedia enterprise that owns 19 television stations in major cities across the nation and serves 13 different markets with locally owned newspapers.  Scripps has expanded its reach in the media universe by venturing into digital strategies and social gaming.  The company is also host to the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. [2]

The Scripps Television Group is comprised of major network affiliates as well as independently owned stations.  This make up is broken down into 10 ABC affiliates, 3 NBC affiliates, 1 independent, and 5 Spanish language stations.  Scripps provides television services to the following cities: Bakersfield, CA; San Diego, CA; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Tulsa, OK; Lawrence, KS; Tampa, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; Denver, CO; Baltimore, MD; Phoenix, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Detroit, MI. [3]

KEY PEOPLE

Image courtesy of Scripps. [4]

Richard A. Boehne, President and CEO

Image courtesy of Scripps. [4]

Timothy M. Wesolowski, Senior VP, CFO, and Treasurer

Image courtesy of Scripps. [4]

Brian G. Lawlor, Senior VP of Television

CONTACT [5]

Headquarters: 312 Walnut Street 2800, Scripps Center, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: 513-977-3000

RECENT NEWS

September 2012

On September 3, 2012, Scripps announced an exciting new venture for its local TV programming.  Rather than purchasing the popular syndicated staples Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, the television group decided to fill the time slots with original content.  The two new shows were to be called Let’s Ask America and The List.  According to Broadcasting & Cable, an accredited television business website, Scripps made a “massive bet on the programs, a game show and newsmagazine, that its top execs say fit right into the company profile of educating and entertaining the public.”  Though the endeavor was considered to be a long shot by most critics, Brian Lawlor, Scripps senior vice president of television, was confident in the company’s ability to produce quality content that would appeal to each of its well established, locally owned markets.  The new shows were set to release on September 17th of that year, but faith in the company’s innovative new plan was hard to find.  Critics of the new strategy stressed network-affiliate relations and how original creative content being aired on the affiliate station could cause even more tension to what is often considered a particularly tense relationship.  Another concern was the possible failure of either program.  Scripps didn’t have many syndication options to fallback on after dropping the two most popular syndicated programs in American television history from its repertoire.  To make matters worse, Jim Paratore was signed on to executive produce Let’s Ask America but unexpectedly passed away in the midst of production.  Scripps made the decision to forge on without the acclaimed EP and hired 60 new people to take charge of the newsmagazine show in stations all over the country.  Clearly, the company believed in the project regardless of what the critics had to say; to Scripps, is was much better to own its content than to rent it. [6]

Let’s Ask America logo via newsnet5.com

On September 17, 2012, Scripps aired its two new programs to seven of its TV markets. [7]

October 2012

October 2012 was a particularly slow month for Scripps Television Group.  The company operated as it normally would, with the exception of their new original programming.  Despite the relative normalcy of October, Scripps made a newsworthy contribution to the mobile television discussion, which seems to constantly be preoccupying the conversations among leading TV conglomerates.  Scripps made it known that they were in full support of the mobile TV movement and were willing to contribute the time and energy that its innovation requires.  The Chicago Tribune reported that the E.W. Scripps Company, along with Fox, NBC, Cox Media Group, Garnett Broadcasting, and Hearst Television, partnered up with Dyle mobile TV, which offers 90 stations in 35 markets. [8]

Dyle on the Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G courtesy of gottabemobile.com

November 2012

While October proved to be a not-so-newsworthy month for the Scripps Television Group, November brought the company multiple headlines that highlighted its overwhelming success.  Whether it was talk of the quarterly revenue report, the newly acquired financial support of Cincinnati, or the beautiful sight of a risk paying off, Scripps found itself in the news constantly and for good reasons.

On November 9, 2012, multiple television business websites reported the remarkable 79% increase in Scripps’ station revenue according to the company’s third quarter reports.  The television group reported $125 million for Q3 of 2012.  Apparently, the increase in earnings was “fueled by [Scripps] acquisition of McGraw-Hill stations,” as well as the unexpected success of “its two homegrown access programs, Let’s Ask America and The List.” [9]  Arguably even more influential on the group’s financial gains was the money generated from local, state, and national elections in early November.  Political advertisers spent $28 million to endorse their candidates on Scripps’ multiple stations.  The 2011 election campaigns only brought in $2 million for the TV group, so political advertising alone made a huge contribution the company’s overall increase in revenue for the third quarter. [10]

As a contributing member of Cincinnati’s booming economy, the E.W. Scripps Company received $750,000 from the city so that it could grow its digital sector.  The goal of the city was to have Scripps “create at least 112 jobs within three years and maintain 184 existing jobs.”  The expansion of Scripps’ digital group could only be beneficial to the TV side of the company.  With its continuing efforts to support mobile television and promote its new original programming, an expansion of the digital sphere would potentially open up an array of new possibilities for the TV group. [11]

On November 13, 2012, the E.W. Scripps Company announced a partnership with Arizona State University that will include an innovative new journalism program.  Together, Scripps and ASU have formed the Scripps Cronkite Journalism Career Program that will directly connect aspiring broadcast journalists to one of the country’s leading broadcast journalism companies.  Keeping with the company’s theme of educating the people of America, Brian Lawlor believes that this new partnership will “harness the creative energy, skills, and enthusiasm of recent ASU grads and channel it into shaping tomorrow’s storytellers.” [12]

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication courtesy of Wikipedia

On November 14, 2012, the gamble that Scripps took by dropping Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! appeared to be paying off for the TV group.  The new original shows were consistently exceeding the company’s ratings goals, based on the Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings.  They did particularly well among 25-54 year old women which put them ahead of the game financially according to vice president of TV content Bob Sullivan.  With this newly established viewer base, Scripps will easily be able to sell more advertisements and make long-term deals with companies who wish to target that particular demographic.  TVNewsCheck, a broadcasting business website, suggests that the more money that the shows rake in for the TV group, the more likely Warner Brothers, a 50-50 partner on Let’s Ask America, is to distributing the original content to multiple non-Scripps stations.  The company seems to be thrilled with the current success of its new content, but so is the competition, which picked up Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in the seven vacant markets. [13]

On November 20, 2012, Audiovox Electronics announced plans for a new mobile TV “rear-seat car entertainment system” that would be fully “Dyle-enabled.”  Since Dyle is the mobile distributor of the Scripps TV Group, the new product launch would expand the company’s modest network to 35 markets and reach “approximately 55 percent of the U.S. population,” according to Broadcast Engineering. [14]

Audiovox rear-seat entertainment system courtesy of Voxx International

On November 30, 2012, Scripps announced the exciting new acquisition of Brian Bracco, former vice president of news for Hearst Television, Inc.  The long-time TV executive will be leading Scripps Kansas City station, which is a place that Bracco is particularly familiar with from his work with Hearst station in KC.  Brian Lawlor believes that “Bracco will provide strong leadership as KSHB” and that “he is vastly qualified to motivate and inspire his staff to become the go-to source for news and investigations in the market,” according to The Sacramento Bee. [15]

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

Due to Scripps enormous success in Q3, the talk of projected fourth quarter revenue has been extremely positive.  The current projection is that “TV revenues will be up about 80%,” according to TVNewsCheck.  The high percentage will mostly be attributed to the previously mentioned newly acquired McGraw-Hill stations.  Surely the earnings won’t come close to what the TV group raked in during the third quarter, with the election providing a lot of ad revenue, but the December month is sure to provide a good look at the “first pure month without political influence,” says Brian Lawlor.  Even without the boost from McGraw-Hill, Scripps’ revenue has been on a positive incline, estimating a 35-40% independent of the newly acquired stations. [16]

REFERENCES

  1. ScrippsOur Mission & Motto
  2. ScrippsAbout Us
  3. ScrippsBrands: Television
  4. ScrippsOur Leaders
  5. ScrippsContact
  6. Malone, Michael (September 3, 2012). “Station Groups Spin Wheel on Homespun Shows”. Broadcasting & Cable.
  7. ScrippsTimeline
  8. Morris, Chris (October 2, 2012). “Mobile TV searches for breakthrough”. The Chicago Tribune.
  9. Malone, Michael (November 9, 2012). “Scripps Station Revenue Up 79%”. Broadcasting & Cable.
  10. Friedman, Wayne (November 9, 2012). “Election Money Fuels Big Gains For Scripps”. Media News Daily. Media Post.
  11. The Enquirer (November 9, 2012). “City Oks $750,000 for Scripps jobs”. The Community Press & Recorder.
  12. PRNewswire (November 13, 2012). “Scripps and Arizona State join forces to create innovative career initiative”. equities.com: Global Financial Network.
  13. Downey, Kevin (November 14, 2012). “Scripps Stations Survive Without Top Syndies”. TVNewsCheck.
  14. McMahon, Franklin (November 20, 2012). “Audiovox launches rear-seat Dyle Mobile TV experience”.  Broadcast Engineering.
  15. The E.W. Scripps Company (November 30, 2012). “Bracco to lead Scripps stations in Kansas City”. The Sacramento Bee.
  16. Messmer, Jack (November 9, 2012). “TV Soaring For Scripps In 4Q After Record 3Q”. TVNewsCheck.