TVN Names Scripps Station Group Of The Year

TVNewsCheck today named E.W. Scripps Co. as its Station Group of the Year for 2017, citing its strategy of bolstering a strong station presence across the United States with a growing focus on national digital media.

Scripps owns 33 television stations in 24 markets. With a reach of 18.1% of U.S. television households, it ranks 12th on the TVNewsCheck–BIA/Kelsey Top 30 station group ranking.

Led by CEO Rich Boehne, Scripps over the past three years has spent $124 million to acquire a foothold in the national digital media business — Newsy (OTT news), Midroll (podcasting) and Cracked (digital content).

Newsy seems to have cracked the code on how to produce news clips that resonate with young consumers with smartphones. Cracked is a producer of comedy and satire that is similar to what viewers have come to expect on Comedy Central and in late night on the Big Three broadcast networks. And Scripps’ acquisition of Midroll capitalizes on the resurging interest in podcasting.

“Scripps is reinventing itself as a company that provides the financial strength of broadcasting along with the upside of national digital video and audio media,” said TVNewsCheck Editor Harry A. Jessell. “In light of this strategy and its continued commitment to producing the best in local news, we are recognizing Scripps as our Station Group of Year.”

Scripps will be the subject of a feature article in TVNewsCheck’s Executive Outlook magazine, which will be distributed at the NATPE Market & Conference (Jan. 17-19, 2017) in Miami, and sent to every station group executive, general manager, news director, chief engineer, digital chief and promotions manager in the U.S. The article will subsequently be posted on TVNewsCheck.com.

Scripps is the fourth company to receive the Station Group of the Year honor. In 2014, it went to Sinclair Broadcast Group; in 2015 the recipient was Raycom Media; and in 2016 Gray Television was honored.