The E.W. Scripps Co. named Lisa Knutson as chief operating officer and said that she will lead a reorganization of the media company.
Knutson had been president of Scripps Networks. Scripps Networks and Scripps’ local media unit will be reporting to her.
“With the acquisition of Ion and the creation of Scripps Networks two years ago, Scripps became a major U.S. television enterprise, able to capitalize on opportunities in the national and local television marketplaces,” said Scripps CEO Adam Symson. “We see the next phase of our growth coming from a focus on news and sports, over-the-air and connected TV viewing and new ways to monetize our spectrum.
Scripps last year formed Scripps News and Scripps Sports units.
Also: Scripps Sees Opportunity in 'Broken' RSN Business
“The restructuring work of Lisa and her team is aimed at positioning us to seize the opportunities ahead by creating a leaner and more agile operating structure through the centralization of certain services and the consolidation of layers of management across our operating businesses and at the corporate office," Symson said.
Scripps said the reorganization has three objectives:
- To improve company operating performance by forming an agile, responsive organizational structure;
- To realize synergies between existing operations;
- To create an organizational structure where employees can move seamlessly throughout the company.
The company aims to capitalize on what it sees as three growth areas:
- The enduringly popular content categories of news and sports — to complement Scripps‘s strong entertainment brands;
- The wide range of television distribution platforms available today and to come;
- The rapidly emerging marketplace driven by ATSC 3.0. ■
