Scripps Reports February Revenues

Scripps Reports February Revenues

CINCINNATI, March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The E. W. Scripps Company's (NYSE:SSP) consolidated revenue for February increased 10 percent year-over- year to $185 million.

Revenue for the company's fastest growing division, Scripps Networks, was up 25 percent to $63.3 million. February advertising revenue at Scripps Networks was up 30 percent and affiliate fee revenue increased 16 percent.

Scripps Networks includes the company's portfolio of national cable and satellite television networks, including Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living and Great American Country (GAC).

HGTV and Food Network can be seen in 88 million and 86 million U.S. television households, respectively. DIY Network reaches about 32 million households and Fine Living can be seen in about 25 million households. GAC reached 37 million U.S. households in February

At the company's newspapers, February revenue was down 5.6 percent to $58.0 million compared with the same month a year ago. February 2005 had four Sundays compared with five Sundays in 2004. Newspaper advertising revenue for the two-month period, January and February, was up 3.4 percent year-over-year.

Including the effect of one fewer Sunday in the month, newspaper advertising revenue in February by category, was:

-- Local, down 4.0 percent to $13.9 million.
-- Classified, down 4.1 percent to $18.5 million.
-- National, down 2.0 percent to $3.3 million.
-- Preprint and other, down 3 percent to $10.6 million.

The company's share of profits from its four joint newspaper operations, before editorial costs, was $5.5 million compared with $5.9 million in February 2004. The decrease includes the effect of one fewer Sunday in February 2005. The company's share of profits from joint newspaper operations is up 6.3 percent for the two-month period of January and February.

At Shop at Home, the company's television retailing subsidiary, February revenue was up 39 percent to $33.2 million. Shop at Home could be seen in 53 million television households in February, up 12 percent from the same month in 2004.

At the company's broadcast television stations February revenue was down 4.3 percent to $22.5 million. The decline reflects the absence of political advertising revenue compared with $1.1 million in political advertising revenue during the same month last year.

Broadcast television February advertising revenue, by category, was:
-- Local, down 1.2 percent to $14.0 million.
-- National, up 9.2 percent to $7.5 million.
-- Other, down 27 percent to $1.0 million.

About Scripps

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media concern with interests in national lifestyle television networks, newspaper publishing, broadcast television, television retailing, interactive media and licensing and syndication. All of the company's media businesses provide content and advertising services via the Internet.

Scripps is organized into the following operating divisions.

Scripps Networks, including the company's growing portfolio of popular lifestyle television networks. Scripps Networks brands include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living, Great American Country (GAC) and HGTVPro. Scripps Networks Web sites include FoodNetwork.com, HGTV.com, DIYnetwork.com, fineliving.com and gactv.com. Scripps Networks programming can be seen in 95 countries.

Scripps Newspapers, including daily and community newspapers in 19 markets and the Washington-based Scripps Media Center, home to the Scripps Howard News Service. Scripps newspapers include the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel and the Ventura County (Calif.) Star.

Scripps Television Station Group, including six ABC-affiliated stations, three NBC affiliates and one independent. Scripps operates broadcast television stations in Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Tampa, Baltimore, Kansas City, Mo., West Palm Beach, Fla., Tulsa, Okla., and Lawrence, Kan.

Shop at Home, the company's television retailing subsidiary, which markets a growing range of consumer goods directly to television viewers and visitors to the Shop At Home Web site, shopathometv.com. Shop At Home reaches about 53 million full-time equivalent U.S. households, including 5 million households via five Scripps-owned Shop At Home affiliated television stations.

United Media, a leading licensing and syndication company. United Media is the worldwide licensing and syndication home of Peanuts, Dilbert and about 150 other features and characters.

THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY For more information:
Unaudited Revenue and Statistical Summary Tim Stautberg
Period: February The E.W. Scripps Company
Report date: March 11, 2005 513-977-3826

(amounts in millions, unless
otherwise noted) February Year-to-date
2005 2004 % 2005 2004 %

SEGMENT OPERATING REVENUES
Scripps Networks (1) $63.3 $50.5 25.4 % $124.4 $98.2 26.6 %
Newspapers 58.0 61.4 (5.6)% 118.7 116.7 1.7 %
Broadcast Television 22.5 23.5 (4.3)% 45.0 46.9 (4.0)%
Shop At Home 33.2 23.9 38.6 % 64.7 50.0 29.3 %
Licensing and Other
Media 8.4 8.5 (2.1)% 17.5 18.1 (3.4)%

TOTAL $185.4 $167.9 10.4 % $370.3 $330.0 12.2 %

SCRIPPS NETWORKS (1)
Operating Revenues
Advertising $49.6 $38.2 29.9 % $96.8 $74.3 30.2 %
Affiliate fees, net 13.4 11.6 15.8 % 26.8 22.4 19.9 %
Other 0.4 0.8 (48.0)% 0.8 1.5 (49.9)%

Scripps Networks $63.3 $50.5 25.4 % $124.4 $98.2 26.6 %

Subscribers (2)
HGTV 87.6 85.4 2.6 %
Food Network 86.3 83.8 3.0 %
Great American Country 37.3 26.1 42.9 %

NEWSPAPERS (3)
Operating Revenues
Local $13.9 $14.4 (4.0)% $27.4 $27.7 (1.2)%
Classified 18.5 19.2 (4.1)% 37.9 36.6 3.6 %
National 3.3 3.4 (2.0)% 6.8 6.5 5.4 %
Preprints and other 10.6 11.0 (3.0)% 21.7 19.9 8.9 %
Newspaper advertising 46.3 48.0 (3.6)% 93.8 90.7 3.4 %
Circulation 10.5 12.1 (12.8)% 22.4 23.7 (5.2)%
Other 1.2 1.3 (8.9)% 2.5 2.4 4.0 %

Newspapers $58.0 $61.4 (5.6)% $118.7 $116.7 1.7 %

Ad inches (excluding
JOAs) (in thousands)
Local 478 507 (5.7)% 945 985 (4.1)%
Classified 738 789 (6.5)% 1,500 1,539 (2.5)%
National 91 96 (5.6)% 184 188 (2.2)%
Full run ROP 1,307 1,392 (6.1)% 2,630 2,713 (3.1)%

Share of JOA
operating profits (4) $5.5 $5.9 (7.0)% $10.8 $10.2 6.3 %

BROADCAST TELEVISION
Operating Revenues
Local $14.0 $14.1 (1.2)% $28.2 $28.7 (1.7)%
National 7.5 6.9 9.2 % 14.8 13.9 6.8 %
Political 1.1 (0.0) 1.7
Other 1.0 1.4 (27.3)% 2.1 2.7 (23.9)%

Broadcast Television $22.5 $23.5 (4.3)% $45.0 $46.9 (4.0)%

SHOP AT HOME
Operating Revenues
Shop At Home $33.2 $23.9 38.6 % $64.7 $50.0 29.3 %

Avg. full-time
equivalent homes 53.3 47.5 12.2 % 53.8 47.4 13.5 %

(1) Operating results include Great American Country since the
November 17, 2004 acquisition date.

(2) Subscriber counts are according to the Nielsen Home video Index of
homes that receive cable networks.

(3) February 2005 had 4 Sundays, versus 5 Sundays in 2004.

(4) Excludes editorial costs.

Source: The E. W. Scripps Company

CONTACT: Tim Stautberg of The E. W. Scripps Company, +1-513-977-3826, or
stautberg@scripps.com

Web site: http://www.scripps.com/

-------
Profile: intent