Scripps taps NBCU sales veteran to lead small and medium business growth and direct response advertising. NEW YORK, Aug. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) has appointed Jen Carfley, a seasoned media sales leader, as head of small and medium business growth (SMB) and direct response advertising, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Carfley will lead the company's enterprise-wide strategy to connect growth-focused advertisers with Scripps' premium video inventory - including sports, news and entertainment - and performance-driven television advertising solutions across its local, national, linear and connected TV platforms. As part of that work, beginning next year, Carfley will lead direct response advertising for Scripps' ION and Bounce networks, while Scripps' longtime partner Marathon Ventures will continue overseeing those efforts for Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Carfley brings more than 15 years of media and advertising sales experience across linear, digital and streaming platforms. She most recently served as vice president of the SMB growth team within NBCUniversal's advertising and partnerships division. Before joining NBCUniversal, Carfley held sales and direct response leadership roles at Sling TV and Dish Media Sales, Defy Media - a content creation company - and BBC America and BBC World News. At BBC America and BBC World News, she founded and led the performance media division within the ad sales team. Based in New York, Carfley reports to Brian Norris, Scripps' chief revenue officer. "Jen brings the strategic vision, growth mindset and proven execution we need to accelerate growth across SMB and performance advertising," said Norris. "Her experience across linear and connected TV will help us make Scripps' premium video inventory easier to access and easier to buy, including creating simpler pathways for performance brands to participate in premium live sports. She will help us create stronger connections between advertisers and engaged audiences while giving small and medium-sized businesses, mid-market advertisers and performance marketers more flexible, measurable ways to grow their businesses." Carfley earned her Bachelor of Science in sports management and marketing from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Media contact: Becca McCarter, The E.W. Scripps Company, (513) 410-2425, [email protected] About Scripps The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating connection. As one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of about 60 stations in 40 markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlet Scripps News and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Scripps is the nation's largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach of up to 100% of TV households. Founded in 1878, Scripps is the steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and its longtime motto is: "Give light and the people will find their own way." Jen Carfley. Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

Charter sues Scripps over carriage of Las Vegas channel. [email protected] August 27, 2026 Charter Communications has filed a federal lawsuit against the E. W. Scripps Company in an attempt to enforce a contract to carry one of its local television stations in the Las Vegas market. The lawsuit, filed in Nevada earlier this week, accuses Scripps of trying to walk back a prior arrangement involving the distribution of its owned-and-operated Ion television channels on Charter's Spectrum TV systems across the country. The agreement covered all of Scripps' Ion television stations, according to a heavily-redacted complaint made public by the court. The specific terms of the agreement, including financial conditions, were not revealed, but Charter asserts the contract allows it to distribute KMCC (Channel 34) on Cox Cable systems in the Las Vegas area, now that Cox has been acquired by Charter. That term is incredibly important to Charter, because KMCC is the home for two major sports franchises in the community: The Stanley Cup-winning hockey team Vegas Golden Knights and three-time WNBA Champions Las Vegas Aces, whose locally-televised games are aired on the broadcast station. Cox Cable has offered KMCC on its systems in the Las Vegas area since at least 2023, according to records reviewed by The Desk, but the agreement was negotiated separately from the contract that Charter negotiated prior to its acquisition of the company. In court records, Charter said Scripps acknowledged that its earlier contract to carry Ion-owned local stations contained a provision that allowed agreements with acquired companies to carry over, but said the term was the result of a "drafting mistake." To that end, Scripps asserts that Charter has no legal right to carry KMCC through the prior agreement that was signed before it acquired Cox, and warned the company that it could face legal liability for copyright infringement for "unauthorized distribution" of the channel now that Cox Cable is transitioning to Spectrum TV. Attorneys for Charter are now asking a court for declaratory relief that forces Scripps to honor its interpretation of the amended contract, saying the court's involvement is necessary to avoid a potential copyright lawsuit filed by Charter in the future. Charter spokesperson Andrew Russell declined to comment for this story, though Charter earlier gave a statement to Cablefax that said the company continued to abide by its prior agreement with Scripps concerning the distribution of KMCC, which is still available to subscribers. A spokesperson for Scripps said the company was aware of the lawsuit but couldn't comment because of it. The lawsuit comes at a time when Scripps has made significant financial investments in capturing premium rights to sports events for its local broadcast stations and national Ion television network. KMCC shares the rights to Vegas Golden Knights games with KTNV (Channel 13), the Las Vegas ABC affiliate owned by Scripps, though KMCC's carriage on local cable systems extends beyond the immediate Las Vegas market owed largely to its status as a channel without any network affiliation. KMCC previously operated as the Las Vegas market's Ion network affiliate until 2023 - the same year it started carrying Vegas Golden Knights games - and its distribution on Spectrum TV's systems before the Cox acquisition was predicated on its status as an Ion affiliate, not an independent station, a source familiar with the matter told The Desk on Thursday. Spectrum is hoping to continue offering the channel on Cox Cable through its agreement to carry Ion-owned stations, rather than have to pay a different rate for KMCC now that it's an independent station, the source said. As an independent station, Scripps has started renegotiating carriage of KMCC under a similar agreement to that of its other stations that carry local sports, including a term that raises the per-subscriber fee it receives in some markets. That demand has triggered at least two large-scale programming disputes this year - one with Comcast's Xfinity TV in April, and the other with DIRECTV at the end of May - which the pay TV companies said was specifically linked to Scripps wanting more money for its channels that offered sports. Adam Symson, the CEO of Scripps, denied local sports played a large role in its dispute with DIRECTV, calling the assertion a "false flag" and accusing the satellite and streaming platform of being greedy because of its private equity owners. "Rather than rationalize their lineups and end the carriage and payment for a bunch of zombie channels owned by bigger multibillion-dollar conglomerates that have leverage over them, they are screwing with the consumer and what the consumer actually wants to watch, which is broadcast television, local journalism and local sports," Symson said. Symson asserted the same during a background conversation with The Desk two weeks later, accusing cable and satellite companies of wanting more money for themselves while depriving broadcasters of their fair share. He said Scripps has historically had some of the lowest per-subscriber rates for its channels relative to other broadcast companies, and was negotiating a new agreement with DIRECTV along similar lines. The two companies ultimately reached a new agreement in mid-June. Programming disputes offer long-term relief for broadcasters in an era of declining core advertising rates - marketers are moving more of their budgets away from traditional TV and radio toward connected platforms that offer more-robust targeting abilities - though disputes with distributors like Comcast and DIRECTV often provide short-term pain. Earlier this month, executives at Scripps acknowledged the company's disputes with DIRECTV and Comcast weighed on its second quarter (Q2) earnings, resulting in a 9 percent year-over drop in overall revenue and a 16 percent drop in retransmission fee income. Charter became the largest cable TV and broadband Internet provider in the country following its acquisition of Cox. The company is absorbing Cox's operations in Las Vegas and other parts of Southern Nevada; before the acquisition, it had a smaller footprint in the state, primarily serving residents in Reno and Carson City.

AdLarge appoints industry veteran Nicole Leyden to accelerate strategic Brand Partnerships. August 17, 2026 NEW YORK, NY - August 17, 2026 - AdLarge today announced the appointment of Nicole Pezzola Leyden as Vice President, Brand Partnerships. In this role, Leyden will focus on developing strategic sponsorship opportunities and integrated marketing programs for advertisers across AdLarge and the fwd. network, with a concentration on the automotive, financial services, and emerging advertising categories. As advertisers increasingly seek customized, cross-platform programs that go beyond traditional media buys, AdLarge continues to expand its integrated sponsorship offerings across podcasts, streaming audio, video, social, live experiences, newsletters, and creator-led content. Leyden's appointment further strengthens the company's position as a trusted partner for brands looking to connect with premium content and highly engaged audiences through strategic, results-driven partnerships. Leyden brings more than two decades of experience developing strategic partnerships and driving revenue growth for some of the world's most respected media and entertainment brands, including TED, Scripps Networks, Discovery, and the NHL. Throughout her career, Leyden has specialized in developing high-value sponsorships and integrated marketing programs that connect brands with consumers across digital media, live events, premium content, and multi-platform experiences. During her tenure at TED, Leyden secured new partnerships with brands including Verizon, Facebook/Meta, Bose, Toyota, Ford, Honda/Acura, Intuit, JPMorgan, and Charles Schwab. Her custom podcast partnership with Morgan Stanley earned industry recognition in back-to-back years. She developed integrated marketing programs spanning TED Conferences, experiential activations, digital media, OTT, podcasts, social campaigns, and custom content. Previously, Leyden held leadership roles at Scripps Networks Interactive, where she led revenue growth and monetization across the company's digital portfolio, including owned-and-operated properties, mobile, premium video, VOD, and TV Everywhere platforms. During her tenure, she led award-winning sales teams, and pioneered General Motors' first large-scale lifestyle branded content initiative, which earned an Emmy Award. "AdLarge and the fwd. network have built one of the strongest portfolios of premium content, creators, and advertising opportunities in the industry, creating an incredible foundation for brands looking to engage audiences in authentic ways," said David Cohn, Chief Revenue Officer of AdLarge and the fwd. network. "Nicole has an outstanding reputation for developing innovative sponsorships that deliver real value for advertisers. She knows how to connect brands with the right content, the right creators, and the right audiences, and we're thrilled to have someone with her experience and relationships joining our team." "The most successful partnerships are the ones that create value for everyone involved; brands, creators, and audiences," said Leyden. "That's what AdLarge and the fwd. network do so well. I'm excited to join the team and help advertisers develop integrated sponsorships that bring those connections to life." In addition to her work in media, Leyden is a Founding Member and Head of Impact Partnerships for Women Applying AI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women develop the skills and confidence to lead in an AI-driven world. She has played a key role in developing partnership strategies, expanding outreach initiatives, and securing funding to support the organization's continued growth. Nicole can be reached at [email protected]. About the fwd. network and AdLarge the fwd. network is where women lead the conversation. Real voices. Real impact. Real brand trust. A creator platform built around influential women voices, fwd. helps creators grow their businesses, audiences discover trusted content, and brands connect with engaged communities at scale. Through audio, video, social, live experiences, and strategic partnerships, fwd. creates meaningful connections between creators, audiences, and advertisers. Powered by AdLarge, a recognized leader in audio advertising and creator monetization, the company reaches more than 200 million listeners globally through its portfolio of premium content, creators, and media brands. For nearly 15 years, AdLarge has helped advertisers, creators, and media partners navigate industry change while delivering innovative solutions across podcasting, radio, streaming, and creator media. Learn more at adlarge.com and thefwd.network.