CINCINNATI – The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) today introduced a new Local Media leadership structure, the latest step in its companywide transformation to reorient the business around consumers’ changing media habits.
The new structure is one piece of Scripps’ proactive transformation plan and is designed to align its local television operations with the way audiences watch, discover and rely on news today, Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said.
“Local television is changing, and the way we operate local stations has to change with it,” Symson said. “Through this transformation, we are rethinking outdated operating models built for a different era while creating a more technology-forward media company to sustain local journalism and bring more consistency, scale and support across our markets.”
Under the new structure, Scripps’ Local Media will be organized into 11 regions, each led by a regional general manager responsible for between two and four markets in most regions. Every Scripps market will continue to have a local news operation led by the station’s news director, allowing news decisions to remain with the journalists and newsroom leaders closest to the communities they serve.
The Local Media division changes announced today follow other recent changes at Scripps’ stations, including expanded 24/7 streaming news and the use of technology, including AI and automation, to modernize technical production workflows for both streaming and linear news.
As part of the Local Media leadership structure changes, 27 roles across Scripps’ local market and sales leadership are being eliminated.
“This regional structure aligns leadership to the two areas where focused local execution matters most: journalism and revenue. Both are essential to sustaining our mission,” Symson said. “The decisions we are making through this transformation are about building an operating model that will support our commitment to strong local journalism well into the future. Scripps is transforming from a collection of individual stations into a more integrated local media company, with strong news and sales leaders in our markets supported by scale, technology and regional leadership.”
The regional general managers will report to Anita Helt and Joe Poss, vice presidents of Local Media, and Lyn Plantinga, senior vice president of Local Media. The regional general managers and their markets include:
Media contact: Becca McCarter, The E.W. Scripps Company, (513) 410-2425, [email protected]
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating connection. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of about 60 stations in 40 markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlet Scripps News and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Scripps is one of the nation’s largest holders of broadcast spectrum. Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach of up to 100% of TV households. Founded in 1878, Scripps is the steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and its longtime motto is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”