Ken Lowe served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Scripps Networks Interactive from the company’s split with The E.W. Scripps Company in 2008 until its sale to Discovery in 2018. With a pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit, Lowe was the media visionary who took his idea for a cable network about homes and gardens, and turned it into a global media lifestyle content giant operating in 175 countries around the world.
Prior Professional Experience:
- Mr. Lowe joined The E.W. Scripps Company in 1980 as general manager of the company’s radio properties. In 1988, he became Vice President of programming, promotion and marketing for the company’s nine network‑affiliated television stations.
- In the early 1990s, Mr. Lowe pitched the idea for HGTV to the company’s board of directors, securing a $25 million investment. The network launched in 1994 and became profitable after only three years, serving as the catalyst and foundation for growth of Knoxville-based Scripps Networks.
- Prior to 2000, Mr. Lowe served as Chairman and CEO of Scripps Networks, building the company into one of the world’s fastest growing and most successful creators of unique brands for cable television and the Internet. In addition to founding HGTV, he oversaw the acquisition and transformation of Food Network into an American pop culture icon, and presided over the launches of the DIY Network and Cooking Channel, as well as the acquisitions of Travel Channel and Great American Country television networks.
- After 20 years with E.W. Scripps, Mr. Lowe was named President and CEO of the company in 2000. Under his leadership, the company evolved into one of America’s most forward-thinking media companies, creating significant long-term shareholder value along the way. He served in that capacity until 2008, when Scripps Networks Interactive became a separate, publicly traded company.
- Mr. Lowe directed the company’s rapid expansion as a global media company, including the 2015 acquisition of Poland’s premier multi-platform and multi-channel media company, TVN. Mr. Lowe also guided the development of the company’s growing portfolio of interactive content services in the food, home, and travel lifestyle categories.
- He began his career in radio with Southern Broadcasting in 1969 and continued with various management positions in radio and television with Harte-Hanks Broadcasting in the late 1970s.
Committee Membership:
- Mr. Lowe is a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee.
Awards:
- Mr. Lowe has been recognized with more than a dozen prestigious awards and honors in national media and business. In 2017, he was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, the Junior Achievement Cincinnati Business Hall of Fame, the Junior Achievement of East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Education:
- A North Carolina native, Mr. Lowe received a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio, television and motion pictures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of Tennessee.