News Release

CINCINNATI, March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The E. W. Scripps Company's (NYSE: SSP) consolidated revenues for February increased 19 percent year-over- year to $168 million.

February results were affected by the extra day in the month and an additional Sunday compared to the same period last year.

Revenues for the company's fastest growing division, Scripps Networks, were up 34 percent to $50.5 million. February advertising revenues at Scripps Networks were up 27 percent and affiliate fee revenues increased 54 percent. Scripps Networks includes the company's portfolio of national cable and satellite television networks, including Home & Garden Television, Food Network, Fine Living and the DIY -- Do It Yourself Network.

HGTV is available in about 85 million homes and Food Network reached about 84 million homes. Distribution of the company's newer networks, DIY and Fine Living, grew sequentially by about a half million subscribers each from the previous month. DIY can now be seen in about 27 million homes and Fine Living reaches about 21 million homes.

February revenues at Shop At Home, the company's television retailing subsidiary, were up 21 percent to $23.9 million. Shop At Home was available to about 48 million full-time equivalent households during the month.

February revenues at the company's newspapers were up 12 percent year- over-year to $61.4 million. Newspaper advertising revenues were up 12 percent. Newspaper advertising revenues for the month, broken down by category, were:

     * Local, up 5.2 percent to $14.5 million.
     * Classified, up 14 percent to $19.2 million.
     * National, up 18 percent to $3.3 million.
     * Preprint and other, up 18 percent to $11 million.

The company's share of profits from its four joint newspaper operations, before editorial costs, was $5.9 million, up 19 percent from February 2003.

At the company's 10 broadcast television stations, revenues for the month were up 17 percent to $23.5 million. Broadcast television revenues reflect $1.1 million in political advertising during the month. The company had no political advertising revenues during the same month a year ago. Other than political, broadcast television advertising revenues, broken down by category, were:

     * Local, up 13 percent to $14.1 million.
     * National, up 7.8 percent to $6.9 million.
     * Other, up 25 percent to $1.4 million.

    About Scripps

The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks, interactive media and television-retailing. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations, four cable and satellite television programming services and a television retailing network. All of the company's media businesses provide content and advertising services via the Internet.

Scripps Networks brands include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, DIY -- Do It Yourself Network and Fine Living. HGTV reaches about 85 million U.S. television households and Food Network can be seen in about 84 million households. Scripps Networks Web sites include FoodNetwork.com , HGTV.com , DIYnetwork.com and fineliving.com . Scripps Networks programming can be seen in 86 countries.

The company's television retailing subsidiary, Shop At Home Network, 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 48 million full-time equivalent U.S. households.

Scripps also operates Scripps Howard News Service and United Media, which is the worldwide licensing and syndication home of PEANUTS and DILBERT.

        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, 2004                  513-977-3826


    (amounts in millions,
      unless otherwise noted)       February (3)           Year-to-date
                                  2004   2003   %        2004    2003    %

    SEGMENT OPERATING REVENUES
    Newspapers                   $61.4  $55.0  11.7 %   $116.7  $108.6   7.5 %
    Scripps Networks              50.5   37.8  33.7 %     98.2    73.8  33.2 %
    Broadcast Television          23.5   20.1  17.0 %     46.9    45.3   3.7 %
    Shop At Home                  23.9   19.8  20.9 %     50.0    42.5  17.9 %
    Licensing and Other Media      8.5    8.7  (1.6)%     18.1    18.7  (3.0)%

    TOTAL                       $167.9 $141.3  18.8 %   $330.0  $288.7  14.3 %

    NEWSPAPERS
     Operating Revenues
     Local                       $14.5  $13.8   5.2 %    $27.9   $27.1   3.2 %
     Classified                   19.2   16.8  14.3 %     36.6    33.0  10.7 %
     National                      3.3    2.8  18.1 %      6.3     5.6  11.4 %
     Preprints and other          11.0    9.3  17.7 %     19.9    18.0  10.7 %

     Newspaper advertising        48.0   42.8  12.3 %     90.7    83.7   8.3 %
     Circulation                  12.1   11.1   8.4 %     23.7    22.8   3.7 %
     Other                         1.3    1.1  23.1 %      2.4     2.1  15.6 %

     Newspapers                  $61.4  $55.0  11.7 %   $116.7  $108.6   7.5 %

     Ad inches (excluding JOAs)
      (in thousands)
     Local                         621    589   5.5 %    1,214   1,169   3.9 %
     Classified                    883    812   8.7 %    1,719   1,608   6.9 %
     National                      109    103   5.6 %      211     199   6.2 %
     Full run
     ROP                         1,613  1,504   7.2 %    3,144   2,975   5.7 %

     Share of JOA operating
      profits (1)                 $5.9   $5.0  18.8 %    $10.2    $8.8  15.7 %

    SCRIPPS NETWORKS
     Operating Revenues
     Advertising                 $38.2  $30.0  27.0 %    $74.3   $57.8  28.5 %
     Affiliate fees, net          11.6    7.5  53.6 %     22.4    15.2  47.5 %
     Other                         0.8    0.2 263.2 %      1.5     0.8  99.4 %

     Scripps Networks            $50.5  $37.8  33.7 %    $98.2   $73.8  33.2 %

     Subscribers (2)
     HGTV                                                 85.4    80.4   6.2 %
     Food Network                                         83.8    78.4   6.9 %

    BROADCAST TELEVISION
     Operating Revenues
     Local                       $14.1  $12.6  12.6 %    $28.7   $28.5   0.6 %
     National                      6.9    6.4   7.8 %     13.9    14.4  (3.6)%
     Political                     1.1    0.0             1.7     0.0
     Other                         1.4    1.1  24.7 %      2.7     2.3  15.8 %

     Broadcast Television        $23.5  $20.1  17.0 %    $46.9   $45.3   3.7 %

    SHOP AT HOME
     Operating Revenues
     Shop At Home                $23.9  $19.8  20.9 %    $50.0   $42.5  17.9 %

     Avg. full-time equivalent
      homes                       47.5   45.2   5.1 %     47.4    46.0   3.0 %

             (1)  Excludes editorial costs and proportionate share of JOA
                  activities.

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

             (3)  February 2004 had 29 days, including 5 Sundays, versus 28
                  days, including 4 Sundays in 2003.

SOURCE  The E. W. Scripps Company
    -0-                             03/11/2004
    /CONTACT:  Tim Stautberg of The E. W. Scripps Company, +1-513-977-3826, or
stautberg@scripps.com, or Communications and Investor Relations,
+1-513-977-3825, or fax, +1-513-977-3721/
    /Web site:  http://www.scripps.com
                http://FoodNetwork.com
                http://HGTV.com
                http://DIYnetwork.com
                http://fineliving.com
                http://shopathometv.com /
    (SSP)

CO:  E. W. Scripps Company
ST:  Ohio
IN:  RAD TVN PUB
SU:  SLS

PF-JK 
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4657 03/11/2004 08:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com