In 1878, Edward W. Scripps borrowed $10,000 from his brothers to set off America's first information revolution. With a loan from his brother, the young entrepreneur launched a newspaper in Cleveland aimed at an emerging - but yet unserved - mass audience of urban workers.

"The Penny Press," named for its affordable price, was clear, concise and politically independent. It quickly became the model for the nation's first mass medium.

From Cleveland, he took the formula to dozens of other cities, building the first chain of newspapers under common ownership.

In 1907, his independent spirit led Scripps to challenge the Associated Press, which at the time struck exclusive agreements with only one newspaper in each market, thereby discouraging the launch of competing newspapers. Scripps responded with United Press International. The service was available to all and became a leading force in worldwide journalism for many years to come.

Scripps also nurtured a syndicated features service, initially built around the writing of his sister, into a licensing and syndication company that thrives today as "United Media."

In the early 1920s, Scripps added "Howard" to the company's operating name to recognize the growing contribution of Roy W. Howard, an aggressive young newsman who rose to become president and chairman of the concern.

The Advent and Development of Broadcasting (1935-1980)

At the urging of Jack R. Howard, Roy's son and later his successor, the company took advantage of America's next information revolution by launching radio stations in the 1930s, then some of the country's first local television stations in the 1940s. Two of the company's first TV stations are 50 years later still among its most successful: WEWS in Cleveland, whose call letters were selected to match the founder's initials and WCPO in Cincinnati, named for its affiliation with The Cincinnati Post.

From 1950, Scripps launched Charles Schulz's comic strip, "PEANUTS." Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the group quickly worked their way into the funny pages of more than 2,000 newspapers around the world.

In the 1950s through the 1980s, Scripps solidified its position as one of the most successful newspaper publishers of the post-war era, and built its reputation as a leading operator of local television stations.

Cable Television (1981-1992)

In the early 1980s, in an effort to develop a profit source that wasn't dependent upon advertising, Scripps began buying and building cable television systems, eventually becoming one of America's 15 largest cable operators.

In 1988, for the first time in 110 years, the company and the Scripps family sold stock to the public. Shares of The E.W. Scripps Company opened in public market at $16 and have more than tripled in value over the following 8 years.

Looking into the New Millennium (1990s and beyond)

In the 1990s, to take advantage of the changes in technology and new media opportunities, Scripps began to direct its free cash flow to investments in information and entertainment content. In 1994, Scripps purchased Cinetel Productions, a Knoxville-based creator of programming for cable, and announced plans to launch Home & Garden Television, a homegrown cable network.

In response to a trend toward 24-hour consolidation within the cable system industry and a changing market, the cable TV systems were sold in 1996 and the value was distributed directly to company's shareholders.

In the final years of the 20^th century, the company continues to serve many of its original local markets, while creating new media businesses in the niches of that mass market first envisioned by the founder, Edward W. Scripps.