Scripps Trust Heir Dies. Company Likely to be Sold

[ABC 7 Denver 1717]

Found this interesting article on TVNewsCheck: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/62997/scripps-heir-dies-sale-speculation-rises

 

All this is happening just after Scripps integrated the McGraw-Hill stations.

 

Let the speculation commence!

[24994J 5585]

Let the speculation commence!

Maybe they'd be interested in the Tribune stations!

 

WARNING: This is SARCASM!

[ABC 7 Denver 1717]

Maybe they'd be interested in the Tribune stations!

 

Ummm, no. Supposedly ABC will pick them up. With the combined value of 9 affiliates and HGTV and Food Network, their is definitively more value in ABC picking up the Scripps stations and networks than just the McGraw-Hill bunch alone.

[Jess 1115]

The article says that the shares of the family trust is to be divided amongst the remaining members of the family before outside parties are able to buy a stake in the companies.

 

Note the plural. E.W. Scripps (the company we're familiar with and the one who got the MGH stations) and Scripps Networks Interactive (Food Network, HGTV, etc.) are two separate companies. They've been separate companies since 2008, but controlled by the same people. Sort of like how Viacom and CBS are separate companies, but controlled by Sumner Redstone and National Amusements.

 

The financial analyst - who has to be taken with a grain of salt because most of what they say is speculation at best and complete bulls*** at worst - is saying that ABC would be interested in the cable networks company. Not the newspaper and TV station company. Remember, ABC doesn't buy stations, and I'm sure they don't want newspapers.

[LoadStar 364]

And as for who might pick up Scripps Networks Interactive, I'd expect it'd be more likely that A+E Networks, not Disney-ABC itself, would show an interest in the Scripps networks. The "lifestyle" positioning of the Scripps networks would mesh rather well with the rest of the A+E portfolio.

[MidwestTV 1232]

Sooo pardon my ignorance here, for I am very tired today but um...what does this mean exactly in regards of the sale? I mean who's being sold here, the Scripps we all know and love, or just SNI which owns all of those cable channels or both?

[T.L. Hughes 890]

And as for who might pick up Scripps Networks Interactive, I'd expect it'd be more likely that A+E Networks, not Disney-ABC itself, would show an interest in the Scripps networks. The "lifestyle" positioning of the Scripps networks would mesh rather well with the rest of the A+E portfolio.

 

Actually, that would make sense. Though between the two entities, the SNI networks run far more lifestyle-oriented programming than either A&E, Lifetime or even History for that matter, which are each more entertainment-based channels.

[LoadStar 364]

Sooo pardon my ignorance here, for I am very tired today but um...what does this mean exactly in regards of the sale? I mean who's being sold here, the Scripps we all know and love, or just SNI which owns all of those cable channels or both?

Neither. At this point, given the restrictions regarding what the beneficiaries can do with the shares, all of this is highly hypothetical. The change in ownership from the trust to the beneficiaries just makes it a minute bit less hypothetical.

 

All that aside, if (and that's a big if) anything happens, it could affect either, or both, of the Scripps companies.

[AdamTheJ 90]

 

 

Ummm, no. Supposedly ABC will pick them up. With the combined value of 9 affiliates and HGTV and Food Network, their is definitively more value in ABC picking up the Scripps stations and networks than just the McGraw-Hill bunch alone.

 

But what about the three NBC affiliates owned by Scripps: WPTV, KJRH, and KSHB? They're not changing affiliations, are they?

 

[ABC 7 Denver 1717]

But what about the three NBC affiliates owned by Scripps: WPTV, KJRH, and KSHB? They're not changing affiliations, are they?

 

They won't be picked up. On second thought. Maybe not. Maybe all the Scripps stations will be bought piecemeal.

[IndyNewsGuy 13]

I'm soooo confused. So far are we dreaming here or does this have some "possibility" in it like Murdoch buying some Tribune Assets?

[ABC 7 Denver 1717]

I'm soooo confused. So far are we dreaming here or does this have some "possibility" in it like Murdoch buying some Tribune Assets?

 

At this point, who knows! I'm We're pontificating.

[A3N 1002]

It's doubtful that anything happens right away, since the issue of who will get what will be stuck in the courts for the foreseeable future. That being said, if the company is sold, there are some good stations in good markets that will be lucrative to any buyer(s).

[MidwestTV 1232]

It's doubtful that anything happens right away, since the issue of who will get what will be stuck in the courts for the foreseeable future. That being said, if the company is sold, there are some good stations in good markets that will be lucrative to any buyer(s).

 

Are you talking about good quality Scripps stations that other companines would be willing to pick up? Because if that's the case, as of now, the only three stations I could think of would be WPTV, WXYZ, WEWS and maybe KNXV as a fourth. KSHB has no leadership at all right now (literally), KJRH is small market, WMAR sucks apparently, WFTS is WFTS and WCPO is WCPO.

[ABC 7 Denver 1717]

Are you talking about good quality Scripps stations that other companines would be willing to pick up? Because if that's the case, as of now, the only three stations I could think of would be WPTV, WXYZ, WEWS and maybe KNXV as a fourth. KSHB has no leadership at all right now (literally), KJRH is small market, WMAR sucks apparently, WFTS is WFTS and WCPO is WCPO.

 

How about RTV6, Denver's 7, KGTV and ABC 23? I realized they just bought them, but who was second in line to have them? I would think that ABC would want KGTV alone (part of their SoCal brand).