News Release

Scripps April Revenues Increase 17 Percent

CINCINNATI, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The E.W. Scripps Company's (NYSE: SSP) consolidated revenues increased 17 percent in April to $152 million, compared to $130 million in April 1999. April 2000 had five Saturdays and Sundays versus four in 1999.

Newspaper advertising revenues increased 18 percent to $66.5 million. Classified advertising revenues increased 19 percent to $27.4 million. Local advertising revenues increased 11 percent to $24.8 million. Total newspaper revenues were up 13 percent to $85.7 million.

Category television revenues increased 57 percent to $29.6 million. The number of subscribers at Home & Garden Television reached 61.7 million in April, up 1.2 million from the previous month, according to the Nielsen Homevideo Index. Home & Garden Television now reaches more than 75 percent of all domestic cable households. The number of Food Network subscribers reached 47.3 million in April, up 1 million from the previous month, according to the Nielsen index.

Broadcast television revenues were unchanged at $27.7 million.

The E.W. Scripps Company operates 20 daily newspapers; 10 broadcast television stations; three TV networks, Home & Garden Television, Food Network and Do It Yourself; and a TV programmer, Scripps Productions. The company also operates United Media, a worldwide syndicator and licensor of news features and comics, and the Scripps Howard News Service. Scripps operates 31 revenue- producing Web sites, including hgtv.com, foodtv.com, diynet.com and comics.com.

    THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY                     For more information:
    Unaudited Revenue and Statistical Summary    Tim Stautberg
    Period: April                                The E.W. Scripps Company
    Report date: May 9, 2000                     513-977-3826

For comparative purposes, this report excludes divested operations, and includes acquired operations as if they had been purchased January 1, 1999.

                               April ****              Year-to-date
                          2000    1999    %         2000      1999      %

    CONSOLIDATED REVENUE
    Newspapers           $85.7   $76.1   12.5 %    $318.2    $300.4    5.9 %
    Broadcast Television  27.7    27.7    0.2 %     104.4     103.0    1.3 %
    Category Television   29.6    18.9   57.0 %     102.9      67.1   53.5 %
    Licensing and
      Other Media          8.6     7.3   17.4 %      33.9      33.1    2.6 %

    TOTAL               $151.6  $130.0   16.6 %    $559.5    $503.6   11.1 %


    NEWSPAPERS ***
    Revenue (in millions)
    Local                $24.8   $22.3   11.1 %     $93.2     $90.4    3.0 %
    Classified            27.4    23.0   18.8 %     102.0      91.4   11.6 %
    National               3.4     3.1   10.9 %      12.2      11.4    6.7 %
    Preprints and other   10.9     7.8   38.8 %      38.6      32.2   19.9 %
    Newspaper advertising 66.5    56.3   18.1 %     246.0     225.5    9.1 %
    Circulation           12.7    12.9   (1.4)%      51.3      53.6   (4.2)%
    Other *                6.5     6.9   (7.0)%      20.9      21.3   (2.2)%

    Newspapers           $85.7   $76.1   12.5 %    $318.2    $300.4    5.9 %

    Ad inches (in thousands)
    Local                  887     836    6.1 %     3,425     3,398    0.8 %
    Classified           1,081     988    9.4 %     4,083     3,760    8.6 %
    National                88      72   21.8 %       337       275   22.5 %
    Full run ROP         2,056   1,896    8.4 %     7,845     7,433    5.5 %

    BROADCAST TELEVISION
    Revenue
    Local                $15.7   $15.3    2.2 %     $56.7     $56.6    0.2 %
    National              10.6    10.7   (1.1)%      40.7      39.7    2.5 %
    Political              0.4     0.1     --         2.2       0.4     --
    Other                  1.0     1.5  (33.2)%       4.8       6.3  (23.1)%

    Broadcast Television $27.7   $27.7    0.2 %    $104.4    $103.0    1.3 %

    CATEGORY TELEVISION
    Revenue
    Advertising          $24.3   $14.2   71.0 %     $81.6     $47.7   71.0 %
    Affiliate fees         5.0     4.1   20.7 %      19.6      16.1   22.1 %
    Other                  0.4     0.5  (33.9)%       1.8       3.3  (46.3)%

    Category Television  $29.6   $18.9   57.0 %    $102.9     $67.1   53.5 %

    Subscribers **    (homes in millions)
    HGTV                    --      --     --        61.7      52.5   17.5 %
    Food Network            --      --     --        47.3      39.7   19.1 %

  • Includes share of profits of JOA newspapers not managed by the Company and commercial printing.

** According to Nielsen Homevideo Index of homes that receive cable networks.

*** For comparative purposes, certain 1999 amounts have been reclassified to conform to 2000 classifications.

**** April 2000 had 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays, versus 4 in 1999. SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company

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