Together with viewers across the country, Scripps raised more than $289,000, providing critical aid to local communities in need
CINCINNATI – The National Association of Broadcasters has awarded The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) with the 2025 “Service to America” award for its relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Scripps received the top honor in the television ownership group category.
The Celebration of Service to America Awards honor excellence in community service, philanthropy and impact by local radio and television stations across the country.
Last fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton made landfall within weeks of each other, wreaking havoc on the Southeastern U.S. The back-to-back catastrophic impacts from both hurricanes ranked among the 10 costliest in U.S. history.
Scripps News, Scripps’ national streaming news channel, and Scripps-owned local television stations played a pivotal role in keeping viewers informed. The dedicated team of reporters tracked the hurricanes, delivering real-time updates on landfall and the aftermath. By providing crucial information about community evacuations and preparedness, Scripps journalists ensured that viewers were well-equipped to face the challenges posed by the storms, while Scripps meteorologists delivered the latest forecasts to guide their decisions.
Before the storms, the Scripps Howard Fund, a public charity established by Scripps, collaborated with local stations and Scripps News to prepare for the potential establishment of disaster relief fundraisers. As soon as the storm passed, the three teams launched campaigns on air, online and on social media to serve impacted communities. Calls to action ran alongside Scripps’ coverage of the damage and recovery efforts. Viewers nationwide responded, raising $289,000 for 29 local nonprofits on the front lines.
“This award is a testament to the profound public service role our local broadcast teams play within communities – providing them with critical information during times of crisis and fostering human connection when it’s needed most,” said Adam Symson, Scripps president and CEO. “Every dollar of the stations’ campaigns provided immediate relief and long-term support, offering hope and resources to communities as they began their recovery process.”
Watch: WFTS, Scripps’ local television station in Tampa Bay, presents checks to local organizations.
The NAB Leadership Foundation will honor this year’s winners at the Celebration of Service to America Awards gala on June 10 in Washington, D.C. View the full list of winners here.
Media contact: Molly Miossi, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3713, [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 more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Its Scripps Sports division 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.”
About the Scripps Howard Fund
The Scripps Howard Fund, a public charity established by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), is dedicated to creating informed and engaged communities through journalism education, childhood literacy and local causes. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom, the Fund is a leader in supporting journalism through scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards stand as one of the industry’s top honors for outstanding journalism. The Fund’s annual “If You Give a Child a Book …” childhood literacy campaign has distributed thousands of new books to children in need across the nation. The Fund partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of local issues and support organizations that build thriving communities. The Scripps Howard Fund administers funding for the Scripps Howard Foundation, a private foundation established in 1962 to advance charitable causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company and the Scripps and Howard families.