Scripps Networks Proves the Passion in Beta Research Study

Independent research shows Scripps Networks' dominant lifestyle brands build passionate, engaged audiences

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Scripps Networks carries strong momentum heading into the second half of 2008. Its five lifestyle brands continue to attract a growing base of passionate viewers who pay attention to programming and advertising, and prove it with their wallets.

Out of the 52 basic cable networks included in the 2008 Beta Brand Identity Study1, Food Network and HGTV emerged with No. 1 or No. 2 rankings in several significant categories:

"One of my favorite channels"

* FOOD ranked No. 1 and HGTV ranked No. 2 among women 18+

"Has hosts/on-air personalities I like"

* FOOD ranked No. 1 and HGTV ranked No. 2 among adults 18+

* FOOD ranked No. 1 and HGTV ranked No. 2 among women 18+

"Pay attention to commercials airing on the network"

* FOOD & HGTV tied for No. 1 among adults 18+

* FOOD ranked No. 1 and HGTV ranked No. 2 among women 18+

"More likely to buy products advertised on the network"

* FOOD & HGTV tied for No. 1 among adults 18+

* FOOD ranked No. 1 and HGTV ranked No. 2 among women 18+

Food Network and HGTV ranked highly in several other areas in the Beta study:

"Valuable"

* FOOD ranked No. 3 among women 18+

* HGTV ranked No. 6 among women 18+ and adults 18+

"Fun"

* FOOD ranked No. 2 among adults 18+ and No. 3 among women 18+

* HGTV ranked No. 8 among women 18+

"Informative"

* FOOD and HGTV tied for the No. 6 ranking among adults 18+

Where passion leads, ratings follow. Scripps Networks brands collectively enjoyed their best quarter ever in attracting passionate, engaged audiences during the first-quarter of 2008.

While its primetime performance remained strong and consistent, HGTV scored its best total day impressions ever in every key measure including households, people 2+, adults 18+, adults 18-49 and 25-54, and women 18-49. Household impressions, for example, jumped 11 percent. HGTV successfully attracted a younger audience in the first quarter, as adult 18-34 impressions increased 34 percent, while adults 18-49 grew 14 percent.

Likewise, Food Network scored its best primetime ever in household impressions, people 2+, adults 18+, adults 18-49 and 25-54, and women 18-49 and 25-54. Adult 25-54 impressions grew 18 percent over the same period last year, while household impressions increased 9 percent. Food Network is drawing a younger audience as well, as adult 18-49 impressions grew 18 percent in the first quarter. Reflecting a median viewer age of 45, the first quarter of 2008 ranked as the fourth-youngest skewing primetime quarter in Food Network history.

DIY Network is breaking its own audience records, scoring historic total day, primetime and weekend success in key demographic targets. Adult 25-54 impressions rose 33 percent total-day over 2007, while household impressions soared 41 percent. DIY's primetime audience impressions expanded 44 percent among adults 18-49, and 45 percent among adults 25-54. Primetime household impressions exploded 68 percent for first quarter 2008 vs. same period 2007.

Great American Country continues to solidify its position as the leader in country music entertainment as it delivers to viewers the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. Fine Living Network is building a strong cadre of talent, including Martha Stewart and designer Christopher Lowell, in anticipation of becoming a Nielsen rated network in 2009.

* The trends continued into April2, as Food Network reported its best-ever monthly showing in adult 18-49 audience impressions in both primetime and total day.

* HGTV exceeded or tied its best-ever primetime ratings in women 18-49 for the third consecutive month, its best total-day ratings for the 9th month in a row and weekend ratings for the 11th consecutive month.

* DIY has met or exceeded previous year primetime and weekend ratings for seven consecutive months among adults 18-49, women 25-54 and adults 25-54.

As the leader in lifestyle media, Scripps Networks will maintain a high profile at The Cable Show 2008 in New Orleans, May 18-20. Scripps executives will speak on several prominent panels at the cable industry's largest annual gathering.

Scripps Networks brands will be heavily involved in several community outreach projects during The Cable Show:

* DIY Network is spearheading a rehabilitation project at New Orleans' Sarah T. Reed High School.

* Fine Living Network's "Fill It Up" campaign will collect toiletries and personal items during the show for distribution to inhabitants of New Orleans' homeless shelters.

* "The Fifth Revision," a musical group comprised of four Scripps Networks employees, will perform before several thousand attendees at The Cable Show's "Battle of the Bands" May 20 to raise money for Cable Cares. Funds raised will support vital recovery projects in New Orleans.

About Scripps Networks

Scripps Networks is comprised of the lifestyle television brands HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living Network and country music network Great American Country (GAC). Scripps is the dominant media and marketing company in the home, food and lifestyle categories, developing content for television and the Internet, where on-air programming is complemented with an array of broadband video, social media areas and e-commerce components on companion Web sites that attract more than 18 million unique visitors each month.

In addition, Scripps Networks has launched HGTV and Food Network in high definition and is aggressively developing its emerging media platforms for broadband and video on demand. Scripps Networks also acquired popular recipe Web site Recipezaar.com and Incando Corp. in order to deepen its user-generated content capabilities. Scripps Networks' brands collectively are available in more than 175 countries and territories on all seven continents. They also are distributed to more than 1,000 outlets on U.S. military bases and U.S. embassies around the world via the American Forces Radio and Television Service.

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Nashville and San Francisco, Scripps Networks is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:SSP), a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks and interactive media. Scripps operates daily and community newspapers in 17 markets, 10 broadcast TV stations, Scripps Howard News Service, United Media, Shopzilla.com and USwitch.

1 2008 Beta Brand Identity study, of 4,902 respondents to assess perceptions of 52 basic cable networks as well ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, and the brand attributes associated with them. The survey took place in January.

2 Source: Nielsen Media. HGTV/FOOD data through 4/20/08. DIY through 4/13/08. Prime: M-Su 8p-11; Weekend S-Su 6a-8p

COPYRIGHT 2008 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning