The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP): Analyse Pestle [Jan-2025 MISE À JOUR]

Dans le monde dynamique des médias et de la radiodiffusion, la société E.W. Scripps se dresse à un carrefour critique, naviguant dans un paysage complexe de perturbations technologiques, de défis réglementaires et de préférences des consommateurs en évolution. Cette analyse complète du pilon dévoile le réseau complexe de facteurs externes qui façonnent les décisions stratégiques de Scripps, des cycles de publicité politique aux impératifs de transformation numérique. Plongez dans une exploration révélatrice de la façon dont cette puissance médiatique s'adapte et prospère au milieu de changements industriels sans précédent, équilibrant les racines traditionnelles de diffusion avec des innovations numériques de pointe.

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs politiques

Règlement sur les médias locaux Impact

Les règles de propriété des médias locaux de la FCC affectent directement les stratégies de diffusion de Scripps. Depuis 2024, la société opère sous les contraintes de propriété suivantes:

Type de réglementation	Limitation spécifique	Impact sur Scripps
Propriété du marché de la télévision locale	Maximum de 2 stations par marché	Limite la consolidation potentielle du marché
Règles de propriété multipliée	Restrictions sur les journaux simultanés et la propriété de diffusion	Limiter les acquisitions de propriétés des médias

Règlements FCC sur les médias numériques

Scripps fait face à des exigences réglementaires spécifiques des médias numériques:

• Renouvellement de licence de radiodiffusion numérique tous les 8 ans
• Conformité aux normes d'accessibilité du contenu
• Règlements sur l'utilisation du spectre

Cycles de revenus de publicité politique

Les revenus de publicité politique pour Scripps démontrent des variations de cycle électoral importantes:

Année électorale	Revenus publicitaires politiques	Pourcentage d'augmentation
2022 Midterms	94,2 millions de dollars	17.3%
2024 Élection présidentielle	Prévu 126,5 millions de dollars	Augmentation prévue de 34,2%

Lignes directrices sur le contenu des médias du gouvernement

Exigences de conformité réglementaire:

• Égalité des dispositions de temps pour les candidats politiques
• Normes de décence du contenu FCC
• Restrictions de contenu de programmation pour enfants

Scripps alloue environ 3,2 millions de dollars par an pour garantir la conformité réglementaire et la surveillance juridique sur ses plateformes médiatiques.

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs économiques

Sensibilité sur les revenus publicitaires aux ralentissements économiques et aux fluctuations du marché

En 2023, la société E.W. Scripps a déclaré un chiffre d'affaires total de 2,17 milliards de dollars, les revenus publicitaires subissant une volatilité significative du marché. La rupture des revenus publicitaires de l'entreprise montre:

Source de revenus	2023 Montant ($ m)	Changement d'une année à l'autre
Publicité locale	638.4	-5.2%
Publicité nationale	412.6	-3.8%
Publicité numérique	287.3	+2.1%

La compétition de plate-forme de streaming remet en question les modèles de revenus médiatiques traditionnels

Plate-forme de streaming paysage concurrentiel impactant le modèle de revenus de Scripps:

Métrique en streaming	Valeur 2023
Investissements de plate-forme de streaming	127,5 millions de dollars
Revenus de streaming	356,2 millions de dollars
Croissance des abonnés en streaming	7.3%

Investissement de transformation des médias numériques

Attribution des investissements technologiques pour la transformation numérique:

• Infrastructure numérique: 86,7 millions de dollars
• Mises à niveau de la technologie du contenu: 42,3 millions de dollars
• Intégration de l'IA et de l'apprentissage automatique: 23,5 millions de dollars

Impact de consolidation de l'industrie des médias

Métriques de consolidation potentielle de l'industrie:

Métrique de consolidation	Valeur 2023
Capitalisation boursière de l'entreprise	2,4 milliards de dollars
Valeur d'entreprise	3,1 milliards de dollars
Ratio de prix / bénéfice	18.6

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs sociaux

Modification des préférences de consommation des médias à la consommation vers les plateformes numériques

Selon Pew Research Center, 86% des Américains tirent des nouvelles des appareils numériques en 2023. Pour la société E.W. Scripps, les revenus de la plate-forme numérique sont passés à 237,4 millions de dollars en 2022, ce qui représente 22,7% du total des revenus de l'entreprise.

Plate-forme multimédia	Pourcentage d'utilisation	Impact sur les revenus
Plates-formes numériques	86%	237,4 millions de dollars
Télévision traditionnelle	42%	127,6 millions de dollars
Imprimé	16%	58,3 millions de dollars

Shifts générationnels dans les préférences de contenu des nouvelles et du divertissement

Les données Nielsen montrent que 18 à 34 ans consomment 64% du contenu via des plateformes de streaming. Scripps Networks Interactive a rapporté que 52% des téléspectateurs du millénaire préfèrent le contenu à la demande en 2022.

Groupe d'âge	Préférence de streaming	Méthode de consommation de contenu
18-34	64%	Sur demande
35-49	41%	Mixte
50+	22%	Traditionnel

Demande croissante de représentation des médias divers et inclusive

McKinsey Research indique que un contenu diversifié augmente l'engagement de l'audience de 35%. Scripps a rapporté 28% de leur programmation originale comportait diverses pistes en 2022.

Métrique de la diversité	Pourcentage	Impact du public
Programmation diversifiée	28%	Augmentation de l'engagement de 35%
Rôles de plomb minoritaires	22%	Croissance de 27%

Augmentation de l'engagement du public via les médias sociaux et le contenu interactif

Social Media Examiner rapporte que 78% des publics préfèrent le contenu interactif. Les plates-formes numériques de Scripps ont vu 3,2 millions de fiancés par les utilisateurs interactifs mensuels en 2022.

Type d'engagement	Interaction utilisateur	Engagement mensuel
Contenu interactif	78%	3,2 millions
Interactions des médias sociaux	62%	2,7 millions

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs technologiques

Transformation numérique en cours des plateformes de livraison de médias

La société E.W. Scripps a déclaré 85,4 millions de dollars de revenus numériques pour le troisième trimestre 2023, ce qui représente une augmentation de 10,4% par rapport à l'année précédente. Les plateformes numériques de l'entreprise, y compris les services de streaming et les canaux d'information numériques, ont connu des investissements technologiques importants.

Plate-forme numérique	2023 Investissement ($ m)	Croissance des utilisateurs (%)
Scripps News Streaming	12.7	18.3%
Plateformes numériques locales	8.5	15.6%
Extension numérique de télévision ionique	6.3	22.1%

Investissement dans les technologies de distribution de streaming et de contenu numérique

En 2023, Scripps a alloué 45,2 millions de dollars spécifiquement pour les réseaux d'infrastructure de technologie de streaming et de distribution de contenu. La société a élargi ses capacités OTT (Over-the-Top) sur plusieurs plateformes.

Catégorie d'investissement technologique	Dépenser 2023 ($ m)
Infrastructure en streaming	22.6
Réseaux de livraison de contenu	15.3
Technologies de streaming adaptatives	7.3

Intégration de l'IA et de l'apprentissage automatique pour la recommandation de contenu

Scripps a investi 6,8 millions de dollars dans l'IA et les technologies d'apprentissage automatique en 2023. La société a mis en œuvre des algorithmes de recommandation avancés sur ses plateformes numériques.

• Investissement de personnalisation du contenu axé sur l'AI: 3,2 millions de dollars
• Développement de l'algorithme d'apprentissage automatique: 2,5 millions de dollars
• Technologies de prédiction du comportement des utilisateurs: 1,1 million de dollars

Cybersécurité et protection des données critiques pour les opérations des médias numériques

La société a engagé 9,6 millions de dollars dans les infrastructures de cybersécurité en 2023, en se concentrant sur la protection des actifs médiatiques numériques et des données utilisateur.

Zone de mise au point de la cybersécurité	Investissement 2023 ($ m)
Sécurité du réseau	4.3
Chiffrement des données	2.7
Systèmes de détection des menaces	2.6

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs juridiques

Copyright et protection de la propriété intellectuelle pour le contenu des médias

Depuis 2024, la société E.W. Scripps a 4 300 enregistrements de droit d'auteur actifs sur son portefeuille de médias. L'entreprise a dépensé 2,7 millions de dollars pour la protection juridique de la propriété intellectuelle en 2023.

Catégorie des droits d'auteur	Nombre d'inscriptions	Coût de protection annuel
Contenu télévisé	1,850	1,2 million de dollars
Contenu médiatique numérique	1,650	$980,000
Contenu de la radio	800	$520,000

Conformité aux réglementations de diffusion des médias

La société maintient Compliance à 100% avec les réglementations FCC. En 2023, la société a investi 3,4 millions de dollars dans l'infrastructure de conformité réglementaire.

Corps réglementaire	Audits de conformité	Dépenses de conformité
FCC	4 audits annuels	2,1 millions de dollars
Régulateurs de diffusion d'État	12 audits au niveau de l'État	1,3 million de dollars

Risques potentiels en matière de litige dans la distribution de contenu numérique

En 2023, la société E.W. Scripps a été confrontée à 7 contestations juridiques liées au contenu numérique, les frais de litige total atteignant 1,9 million de dollars.

Type de litige	Nombre de cas	Dépenses juridiques totales
Violation du droit d'auteur	3 cas	$850,000
Conflits de distribution de contenu	4 cas	$1,050,000

Exigences légales de confidentialité et de protection des données

La société a alloué 4,2 millions de dollars à la conformité juridique de la protection des données en 2023, couvrant le RGPD, le CCPA et d'autres réglementations régionales de confidentialité des données.

Règlement sur la protection des données	Investissement de conformité	Violations signalées
RGPD	1,5 million de dollars	0 Violations
CCPA	1,3 million de dollars	0 Violations
Autres réglementations régionales	1,4 million de dollars	0 Violations

La E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - Analyse du pilon: facteurs environnementaux

Initiatives d'efficacité énergétique dans les installations de diffusion

La société E.W. Scripps a signalé des mesures de consommation d'énergie pour les installations de diffusion en 2023:

Type d'installation	Consommation d'énergie annuelle (KWH)	Cible de réduction de l'efficacité énergétique
Stations de télévision	3,450,000	12% d'ici 2025
Centres de médias numériques	1,875,000	15% d'ici 2026

Réduire l'empreinte carbone via des plateformes de médias numériques

Données de réduction des émissions de carbone pour les plates-formes numériques en 2023:

Plate-forme numérique	Émissions de carbone (tonnes métriques CO2)	Pourcentage de réduction
Scripps News	287	8.5%
Streaming de la station locale	412	11.2%

Pratiques durables dans les opérations d'entreprise

Mesures de durabilité pour les opérations d'entreprise en 2023:

• Utilisation d'énergie renouvelable: 22% de la consommation totale d'énergie
• Taux de recyclage entre les installations: 68%
• Initiatives de conservation de l'eau: 15% de réduction de l'utilisation de l'eau

Gestion des déchets électroniques dans l'infrastructure technologique

Statistiques de gestion des déchets électroniques pour 2023:

Catégorie de déchets	Poids total (LBS)	Pourcentage de recyclage
Équipement informatique	47,500	92%
Équipement de diffusion	35,200	88%

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

Ongoing consumer shift from traditional cable (cord-cutting) to over-the-top (OTT) streaming.

The most significant social factor impacting The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) is the accelerating consumer migration away from traditional pay-TV subscriptions, known as cord-cutting, toward Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming services. This shift directly erodes the subscriber base that generates retransmission consent fees, a major revenue stream for Scripps' local broadcast division. Industry projections for 2025 estimate that the number of US households without a traditional pay-TV subscription will reach over 55 million, representing a penetration rate below 50% for the first time.

This trend forces Scripps to rapidly pivot its distribution strategy. While the loss of cable subscribers pressures retransmission revenue, it simultaneously creates an opportunity in Connected TV (CTV) advertising, where Scripps' national networks (like ION and Scripps News) are gaining traction. The challenge is ensuring the digital ad revenue growth can offset the slowing growth and eventual decline in traditional retransmission fees.

Increasing demand for local, trustworthy news content drives audience engagement.

Despite the fragmentation of the media landscape, the demand for local, high-quality news remains robust and is, in some ways, counter-cyclical to the cord-cutting trend. Local news is seen as more trustworthy than national news sources by a significant margin. For Scripps, this is a core strength, as its 60+ local stations are primary sources for critical community information, especially during severe weather or local elections.

This engagement translates into higher digital traffic and stronger local advertising appeal. Data from late 2024 showed that local news app usage and website visits spiked by an average of 25% year-over-year during major local events across Scripps' markets. This sustained, high-intent audience is crucial for maintaining premium local ad rates, even as the delivery mechanism shifts from broadcast to digital platforms.

Demographic shifts require investment in diverse content and talent pipelines.

The changing US demographic landscape necessitates proactive investment in content and talent that reflects a more diverse audience. By 2025, minority groups are projected to account for nearly 45% of the US population, and media companies that fail to connect with these segments risk losing relevance. Scripps must ensure its news coverage, on-air talent, and programming slate authentically represent the communities it serves.

This is not just a social imperative; it's a business one. A diverse content strategy expands the total addressable market and improves audience loyalty. Scripps has been focused on this, but the investment must be defintely sustained. Here's the quick math on the audience shift:

Demographic Group	Projected % of US Population (2025)	Scripps' Strategic Content Focus
Non-Hispanic White	55.1%	Sustaining core local news viewership.
Hispanic/Latino	19.7%	Increased Spanish-language or bilingual digital content.
Black/African American	13.6%	Elevating diverse voices in local and national network programming.
Asian American	6.1%	Targeted digital content for high-growth metro areas.

Audience fragmentation across digital platforms complicates ad targeting.

The proliferation of streaming services and digital platforms has shattered the mass-market audience into countless smaller segments, a phenomenon called audience fragmentation. This complicates the traditional model of broad-reach advertising that local broadcast TV relied on. Advertisers are now demanding more precise, data-driven targeting capabilities.

Scripps' strategic response is to unify its local and national digital inventory, particularly within its National Networks division, to offer a more scalable and targetable audience to national advertisers. This allows them to compete with digital giants. The complexity, still, is managing disparate data sets and ensuring regulatory compliance. The opportunity lies in the rapid growth of the Connected TV (CTV) ad market, which is projected to reach over $28 billion in the US by 2025.

Key actions Scripps must take to navigate this fragmentation:

• Integrate first-party data across all digital properties.
• Invest in advanced programmatic advertising technology.
• Simplify ad buying across local broadcast and national OTT platforms.
• Develop new ad formats for non-linear content consumption.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

Aggressive rollout of ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) offers new data and monetization paths

The biggest technological opportunity for The E.W. Scripps Company is the rollout of ATSC 3.0 (Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0), also known as NextGen TV. This isn't just a better picture; it's a complete shift to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based broadcast standard, making the broadcast spectrum a two-way data pipe.

Scripps is a key player here. In early 2025, the company joined forces with other major broadcasters-Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group, and Sinclair-to form a joint venture called EdgeBeam Wireless. This collective move is designed to monetize the new data-casting capabilities of ATSC 3.0, moving beyond traditional television advertising.

Here's the quick math on the potential total addressable market (TAM) for these new services, based on EdgeBeam's internal estimates. What this estimate hides is the competition from 5G and other wireless carriers, but the scale is defintely compelling:

ATSC 3.0 Datacasting Service	Estimated Annual TAM (Total Addressable Market)
Automotive Connectivity Services	$3.7 billion
Content Delivery Network (CDN) Services	$3.65 billion
Enhanced GPS Services	$220 million

The core action is simple: use the existing broadcast infrastructure to deliver high-speed data to business users, like connected cars and content distributors, creating a substantial new revenue stream outside of retransmission fees and advertising.

Competition from digital-native platforms like YouTube and connected TV (CTV) services

The legacy broadcast model is still under pressure from digital-native platforms and the shift to Connected TV (CTV). The good news is Scripps has been aggressive in carving out its own space in this arena, which is a clear, actionable response to the market trend.

The company's focus on streaming distribution has paid off significantly in 2025, with Connected TV revenue for the Scripps Networks division growing by 41% year-over-year in Q3 2025. This growth helped the Scripps Networks segment profit reach $53.3 million in Q3 2025, with a segment margin of 27%. Streaming now constitutes a significant 20% of all Scripps Networks viewing, showing that their strategy of leveraging brands like ION, Bounce, and Court TV across all major streaming platforms is working to mitigate the decline in traditional pay TV subscribers.

• Grow streaming distribution for a 9-figure revenue line.
• Use sports programming (like WNBA and NHL) to drive CTV ad sales.
• Expand Scripps Networks margin to 32% in Q1 2025, driven by CTV and cost control.

Need to integrate AI tools for news production and content personalization

Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration is no longer a theoretical exercise; it's a necessity for operational efficiency and content relevance. Scripps has moved quickly in 2025 to create a formal leadership structure for this transformation.

The company appointed a new Vice President of AI Strategy, a Vice President of Emerging Technology Operations, and a Director of Newsroom AI in early 2025. This team's mandate is to drive 'AI fluency' across the workforce and adopt AI within workflows to inspire revenue growth and efficient operations. The immediate goal is to leverage AI to support local operations, automating routine tasks so journalists can focus on high-value, impactful stories.

This is a strategic move to centralize production and use AI for tasks like content personalization and automated headline generation, which helps the company remain competitive with the lean, efficient operations of digital-first competitors. Critically, the company established an AI Governance Committee and published guidelines to ensure the ethical and responsible adoption of AI, protecting the company's journalistic integrity.

Cybersecurity risk management is critical for broadcast infrastructure

As the broadcast infrastructure shifts to an IP-based standard with ATSC 3.0 and centralizes operations, the threat surface expands dramatically. For a company that owns and operates more than 60 local television stations, the integrity of the broadcast signal and the security of viewer data are paramount.

Scripps explicitly acknowledges that it will 'continue to face cybersecurity and similar risks,' which could lead to service disruption, disclosure of confidential information, and financial losses. The nature of broadcast-delivering critical, real-time news and emergency alerts-means a cyber attack could have public safety consequences in addition to financial harm. Managing this risk requires continuous investment in network security, endpoint protection, and employee training to protect the sensitive information routinely received, stored, and transmitted across their systems.

Finance: draft a 13-week cash view incorporating a 10% increase in Q4 2025 AI/Cybersecurity CapEx by Friday.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

Complex negotiations and legal risks in retransmission consent contract renewals

The E.W. Scripps Company's primary legal and financial risk in its Local Media division remains the complex, high-stakes process of retransmission consent (Retransmission Consent) negotiations with cable, satellite, and virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs). These negotiations are crucial because distribution revenue-the fees paid by these providers-was a flat $186 million in Q3 2025 for the Local Media division, and it is a key funding source for local news operations.

In Q1 2025, The E.W. Scripps Company successfully completed renewals covering approximately 25% of its pay TV households, which is a significant portion of its subscriber base. The challenge is that the regulatory framework, governed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has not kept pace with the shift to vMVPDs like YouTube TV. The company's CEO has publicly advocated for the right of local affiliates to negotiate directly with these virtual distributors, arguing the current setup is inconsistent with market reality.

The potential for large-scale consolidation, such as the unsolicited acquisition proposal from Sinclair, Inc. in November 2025, is primarily driven by the desire to gain stronger retransmission consent leverage. However, any such deal would immediately face intense regulatory scrutiny from the FCC regarding:

• National Ownership Cap: The 39% limit on U.S. television household reach.
• Local Market Duopolies: Rules limiting ownership to two full-power stations per market.
• Market Power Concerns: Regulators flagging the outsized leverage a combined entity would have over distributors.

The legal costs associated with these negotiations and potential regulatory battles are substantial, though often embedded in general corporate expenses. For instance, the company incurred a total of $44.5 million in financing transaction costs year-to-date through Q3 2025, which includes legal and advisory fees related to debt management and strategic transactions like station swaps with Gray Media aimed at optimizing its portfolio.

Compliance with evolving data privacy laws (e.g., state-level CCPA) for digital ad sales

The E.W. Scripps Company's growing Scripps Networks division, which saw connected TV revenue jump 41% in Q3 2025, relies heavily on digital ad sales and thus faces escalating compliance risk from the patchwork of state-level data privacy laws. By 2025, a total of 20 states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), with new laws taking effect in states like Minnesota and New Jersey.

The legal exposure here is concrete and expensive. The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) increased its fine amounts for CCPA violations in 2025, with penalties now reaching up to $2,663 per violation or $7,988 for intentional violations or those involving consumers under 16. The CPPA has been actively enforcing these rules, with a major settlement of $1.55 million in July 2025 against a health information website for failing to honor consumer opt-out requests, including Global Privacy Control signals.

This is a defintely a growing operational cost. The company must invest in technology and legal counsel to manage consumer rights requests (access, deletion, opt-out) across all 20 states, especially for its digital ad inventory. Failure to ensure that contracts with third-party ad tech vendors are compliant with these diverging state laws creates a massive liability. The table below illustrates the growing financial stakes in California alone as of January 1, 2025:

CCPA Penalty/Threshold	Previous Amount (Pre-2025)	Updated 2025 Amount (Effective Jan 1, 2025)
Annual Gross Revenue Threshold for a 'Business'	$25,000,000	$26,625,000
Monetary Damages per Consumer (Minimum)	$100	$107
Administrative Fine per Violation (Maximum)	$2,500	$2,663
Fine for Intentional/Minor's Data Violation (Maximum)	$7,500	$7,988

Intellectual property and licensing disputes for syndicated content

As a major content creator and distributor, The E.W. Scripps Company faces constant risk from intellectual property (IP) disputes, particularly concerning its syndicated content, national networks (like ION, Bounce, and Court TV), and local news content. The legal landscape for IP in 2025 is volatile, with courts actively redefining standards for copyright infringement damages and trademark liability in the digital age.

The main exposure comes from licensing agreements for syndicated content and the use of third-party music, images, and video in its broadcasts and digital platforms. A key risk area is the use of trademarks and copyrighted material in online advertising, where courts are focused on issues like trademark hijacking in keyword advertising. Furthermore, the Supreme Court is actively addressing the scope of 'defendant's profits' in trademark infringement cases, which could broaden the financial liability to include the profits of legally separate corporate affiliates.

For a company with national reach, managing the IP rights for its extensive library-including the rapidly growing revenue from WNBA and National Women's Soccer League content on ION, which grew 92% over the 2024 season-requires a robust and costly legal infrastructure. One clean one-liner: IP risk is a function of content volume and platform reach.

Potential lawsuits related to content liability and defamation

The E.W. Scripps Company operates over 60 local television stations and national news outlets like Scripps News and Court TV, putting it squarely in the crosshairs for content liability, specifically defamation claims. The legal climate for media companies is tightening, with recent court decisions showing a potential erosion of traditional media defenses.

While the company's financial filings do not itemize specific 2025 defamation losses, the risk is constant. For example, recent appellate court rulings have challenged the scope of the 'substantial truth' defense, which could increase the difficulty of dismissing lawsuits quickly. The core risk for The E.W. Scripps Company is tied to its local news commitment; a single, poorly vetted report could lead to a multi-million dollar jury award. Given the company's year-to-date loss of $120 million through Q3 2025, an unbudgeted, large litigation loss would be a significant financial shock.

The nature of Court TV, which covers high-profile legal proceedings, also introduces a unique liability risk related to reporting on sensitive, ongoing cases. The company must allocate significant resources to legal counsel, pre-publication review, and Errors & Omissions insurance to mitigate these daily risks. The FCC also lists 'changes in law and regulation' as an important factor that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from its forward-looking statements, underscoring the legal environment's impact on financial performance.

The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

Growing pressure from investors for transparent Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.

You're seeing institutional investors-the big money-increasingly use ESG metrics to screen for risk, and The E.W. Scripps Company is defintely feeling that heat. While the company acknowledges its carbon footprint is relatively small for a media enterprise, the key issue is the lack of a current, public baseline for direct and indirect emissions.

The company engaged a third-party consultant in 2022 to start identifying and calculating its Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (purchased energy) carbon emissions. As of late 2025, this baseline data is still pending public disclosure, which creates a transparency gap for stakeholders. Honestly, without those verified numbers, it's hard for investors to quantify the true environmental risk or the return on efficiency investments.

Here's the quick math on their current investment posture, which reflects the capital allocation priority:

Financial Metric (YTD Q3 2025)	Amount (USD)	Comparison to Prior Year
Capital Expenditures (9 months)	$29.564 million	Down from $54.497 million (9 months 2024)
Local Media Segment Expenses (Q3 2025)	$273 million	4.3% decrease from Q3 2024

Need to manage the energy consumption of broadcast towers and data centers.

The majority of the company's energy consumption comes from its network of broadcast towers and the associated data centers. Managing this is a clear operational opportunity to reduce costs and emissions simultaneously. The company has made significant infrastructure moves to address this, focusing on the largest energy draws.

The most important action here is the transmitter replacement program. Since 2017, Scripps has replaced approximately 90% of its transmitters with more energy-efficient models. Plus, they are systematically installing LED lighting across all buildings, including video production studios, following energy audits to drive further efficiency. This is smart business, not just greenwashing.

Operational efficiency is already showing up in the financials:

• Replace: 90% of transmitters since 2017 with high-efficiency models.
• Audit: Conducted energy audits across multiple operations to pinpoint efficiency opportunities.
• Mobilize: Transitioned to cellular-based backpacks for newsgathering, reducing the need for less-fuel-efficient news trucks.

Opportunity to position local news as a key communicator during climate-related events.

Local media is one of the most trusted sources of information during severe weather and climate-related crises, like hurricanes, wildfires, and extreme heat events across the US. This is a massive opportunity to build community trust and audience share, which directly translates to a more valuable advertising platform.

The company is actively leaning into this, striving to inform audiences about climate change and environmental impact through its local stations and the national news outlet, Scripps News. For example, Scripps News partnered with 2030 Districts in 2022 to produce a segment on how modern cities impact the environment, demonstrating a commitment beyond just weather alerts.

A strong local news presence becomes a critical public service asset when the power grid goes down.

Adherence to stricter environmental regulations for physical infrastructure.

While the industry is generally subject to environmental regulations, the near-term focus is actually on potential deregulation that could streamline infrastructure projects. In 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is actively working to modernize its rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

The FCC's goal is to streamline environmental reviews for communications facilities, including broadcast towers, to cut permitting delays. This is a positive political/regulatory tailwind that reduces the compliance burden and accelerates the deployment of new, energy-efficient infrastructure. The comment period for these proposed revisions closed in late 2025, signaling a potential shift to a faster, less costly environmental review process for tower construction and modification.

Action: Finance should model the CapEx savings from a streamlined FCC environmental review process, assuming a 12-18 month reduction in permitting time for new tower builds by Q1 2026.