Symson to Succeed Boehne at E.W. Scripps

E.W. Scripps Co. named Adam Symson to the new position of COO and said it expects him to become CEO when Rich Boehne retires in the second half of next year.

Symson, who had been the company’s chief digital officer, will report to Boehne and oversee day-to-day operations of Scripps’ broadcast TV, digital media and radio divisions. Boehne will continue as chairman of the board following the transition next year.

“Adam has demonstrated the leadership and entrepreneurial skills critical for the continued long-term success of the Scripps enterprise. In this media environment, where opportunities and challenges develop at an ever-accelerating pace, he has shown his ability to build successful media brands,” Boehne said.

“Having spent more than half of his career in broadcast television, including as an investigative journalist and a news strategist for Scripps, Adam is driven by our company’s mission and our vision of creating a better-informed world. His deep experience as a broadcaster, a builder of digital media brands, and a discerning leader will serve our employees, our customers and our owners exceptionally well,” Boehne said.

Symson, 41, joined the Scripps TV division in 2002 and took over digital operations in 2011. His first job at Scripps was as executive producer of investigations and special projects for KNXV Phoenix.

Boehne, 60, has been president and CEO since 2008.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.