Scripps Notifies INYO of Intent to Purchase 23 TV Stations
Salt Lake City, Utah — March 2 , 2026 — INYO Broadcast Holdings announced that it has received notice from The E.W. Scripps Company (“Scripps”) of its intention to purchase INYO’s stations pursuant to an existing option Scripps holds. The purchase price would be approximately $54 million subject to timing of Closing. The transaction requires regulatory approval and Scripps has indicated its intention to seek waivers of the FCC's television ownership rules in order to consummate the purchase based on current regulations.
The transaction brings 23 INYO-owned ION stations back under the Scripps umbrella, completing a cycle that began in January 2021 when Scripps' acquisition of ION Media Networks required the divestiture of the stations to comply with ownership rules. INYO was created at that time as an independent affiliate of the ION network, operating under a long-term affiliation agreement with Scripps.
“When we acquired these stations five years ago, we knew they were important assets with a clear strategic purpose,” said John Chachas, CEO of INYO Broadcast Holdings. “Our partnership with Scripps has been outstanding from day one, and it makes all the sense in the world for these stations to return to their ownership.”
Since its founding, INYO has established itself as a highly efficient broadcasting platform. Under its ownership, the 23 stations reach approximately 16% of U.S. households across major markets, including Phoenix, Detroit, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Kansas City, making INYO the 14th largest over the air broadcaster in the United States by coverage.
"We built INYO to do one thing extremely well: operate a high-quality broadcast platform with efficiency,” Chachas said. “A terrific group of people ran the stations flawlessly — something we are enormously proud of, and it's a credit to our people, especially our field engineers across our markets."
The stations operated as ION affiliates under a 13-year affiliation agreement with Scripps. On Tuesday, Scripps CEO Adam Symson confirmed the planned repurchase during the company's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, noting that the transaction is expected to involve FCC waivers given current rules.
About INYO Broadcast Holdings
INYO Broadcast Holdings is a television broadcasting company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in January 2021, the Company is is majority owned by media investment bankers associated with Methuselah Advisors who formed the company. For more information, visit https://www.inyobroadcast.com/ [inyobroadcast.com].
About The E.W. Scripps Company
The E.W. Scripps Company is a diversified media enterprise with interests in local television stations, the Scripps Networks portfolio including ION, Bounce, Grit, Court TV, and other national networks, as well as a growing connected television and streaming business. Scripps is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol SSP.