How it started
History
In 1994, Scripps acquired the Knoxville-based Cinetel Productions to serve as a production base for a new home lifestyle-oriented cable network, which would eventually launch in December as HGTV. Scripps later acquired a stake in the Food Network from the A.H. Belo Corporation in 1997, and launched a spin-off of HGTV known as DIY Network (now Magnolia Network) in 1999 as well as Fine Living Network (renamed as Cooking Channel in 2010) in 2002.
On October 12, 2004, the first incarnation of Scripps Networks (then a division of the E.W. Scripps Company) announced that it would acquire Great American Country (later renamed as Great American Family in 2022) from Jones Radio Network for $140 million.
On July 1, 2008, Scripps spun out its cable networks and online properties as a new, publicly traded company known as Scripps Networks Interactive. The split was performed to reduce the financial burden of Scripps' broadcast television and print assets on its profitable cable network properties.
The company acquired a majority interest in the Travel Channel from Cox Communications for a reported $975 million in late 2009, and the following year rebranded Fine Living Network as Cooking Channel.
In April 2011, the company announced the sale of Shopzilla to Symphony Technology Group for $165 million. From within its Travel Channel unit, Scripps also invested in Oyster.com, a hotel research and booking site.
From Wikipedia’s article on Scripps Networks Interactive, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3