New York -- Scripps Networks created a New Ventures Group,
tasked with developing new cable networks and other growth opportunities, chairman Ken
Lowe said last week.
Scripps Networks executive vice president Susan Packard is
president of the new unit, which will develop new networks, strategic partnerships and
new-media applications, including interactive television and video-on-demand.
Lowe said, "At least one concept for cable networks,
possibly two," should be announced in 60 to 90 days, and they will probably not be
spun off from current channels. The company will also step up international expansion, he
added.
Scripps Networks -- the E.W. Scripps Co. unit that operates
Food Network, Home & Garden Television, Do It Yourself and related Web sites -- also
promoted other key executives. Ed Spray, formerly executive vice president, is now Scripps
Networks' president, assuming some duties from Lowe.
Three senior vice presidents and network general managers
report to Spray: Burton Jablin, who oversees HGTV and was its senior vice president of
programming; Jim Zarchin, now heading DIY and previously president of Scripps Productions;
and Judy Girard, named to head Food earlier this month. Spray and Packard report to Lowe.
E.W. Scripps owns 64 percent of Food, all of HGTV and DIY
and nine TV stations.
Also, Mark Hale was bumped up from senior vice president to
executive vice president; another senior vice president, Jim Clayton, became executive
vice president and chief financial officer; and Bob Gerrard, senior vice president and
general counsel, added oversight of an expanded human-resources department.
Steve Gigliotti, previously vice president and general
manager at E.W. Scripps' WMAR-TV in Baltimore, will now, as Scripps Networks'
senior vice president of ad sales, manage the ad-sales operations for its three existing
cable networks and their Web sites. Ad sales for those networks will continue to operate
independently of each other.
