The E.W. Scripps Co. has made a key addition to its executive leadership by appointing a Senior VP and Chief Distribution Officer who is tasked with managing accessibility of the company’s linear channels across multiple platforms.
The role is going to a 19-year company veteran who has served as the interim head of distribution since February.
Getting the permanent nod in the all-important position is Robin Davis.
This makes her the retransmission consent specialist at Scripps, ensuring that it avoids any impasse resulting in a “blackout” from any MVPD in the U.S., which includes cable, satellite and virtual carriers. Additionally, Davis will be responsible for ensuring Scripps’ digital multicast networks have a home on over-the-air television stations across the nation.
Since 2005, Davis has held a variety of strategy and finance leadership positions at Scripps, and her most recent formal role at the Cincinnati-headquartered company was as SVP/Strategy, Planning and Development. She also has led corporate development for Scripps.
Scripps President/CEO Adam Symson calls Davis “an outstanding media executive with all of the skills to lead our distribution strategy.” He continued, “Her thorough grasp of our business, the evolving television marketplace and the opportunities we see ahead give me great confidence that she will maximize the value of our distribution platforms.”
Davis began her Scripps career as controller for the former newspaper division, then became VP/Finance and Development for the division before moving into strategy and corporate development.
In particular, her work leading mergers and acquisitions helped to grow Scripps’ local television station portfolio from 10 stations in nine markets in 2010 to its current size of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. She also helped lead the acquisitions of Newsy [today Scripps News] in 2014, Journal Communications in 2015, Katz Networks in 2017 and ION in 2021.
Following the ION acquisition, she helped establish the Scripps Networks division as its vice president of strategy, planning and development.
Before joining Scripps, Davis was VP/CFO of Pulitzer Newspapers Inc., and manager of financial reporting for Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. She began her career at Deloitte.
