Journal, Scripps Shareholders OK Mergers, Spinoffs

Shareholders of E.W. Scripps and Journal Communications approved the companies’ previously announced plans to combine their broadcast divisions while separately spinning off and joining their newspaper arms, Journal said in a news release Wednesday. The combined broadcast operations will take on the Scripps name, while the print company will be called Journal Media Group. The new Scripps company will have approximately 4,000 employees, and the Scripps family shareholders will continue to have voting control, the release said. Journal Media Group will be based in Milwaukee with 3,600 employees, and combine Scripps' newspapers and digital products with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Journal’s other publications and digital offerings, the release said. The transactions are expected to close early in Q2, Journal said.