CINCINNATI – James M. Hart, senior vice president of The E. W. Scripps Company’s television station group subsidiary, is retiring effective July 1. He will continue to be associated with Scripps as a community and public affairs consultant at the company’s national television networks headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn. He also will serve as a consultant to the Scripps television station group.Hart, 58, has been senior vice president of Scripps Howard Broadcasting and a vice president for The E.W. Scripps Company since 1995. His successor as head of the company’s television station group will be named at a later date.“Scripps has benefited from Jim Hart’s experience and steady leadership during a period of fundamental change in the broadcast television industry,” said Kenneth W. Lowe, president and chief executive officer for Scripps. “Thanks to his tireless efforts, the Scripps stations are on a solid foundation in a highly competitive environment. We look forward to Jim’s continuing association with Scripps as he takes on some new responsibilities in Knoxville.”As a consultant to Scripps Networks, Hart will concentrate on community and public affairs in the Knoxville area. His primary responsibility will be to serve as a liaison to local foundations, charities, business organizations and local government. Hart, a native of East Tennessee, has long been involved in the Knoxville community and the region’s television industry.Scripps Networks is the operating umbrella for the Scripps portfolio of national television networks, which includes Home & Garden Television, Food Network, Do It Yourself (DIY) and Fine Living. “We intend to fully tap Jim’s extensive knowledge of the broadcast television business and his deep ties with the Knoxville community to help us strengthen our role as a good corporate citizen,” said Edward A. Spray, president of Scripps Networks. “We assign considerable importance to our community involvement and are fortunate to have someone of Jim’s caliber to help us reach our community and public affairs goals.”Hart said, “It has been a privilege for me to be a part of the Scripps senior management team for the last six years. The E. W. Scripps Company is unique in its commitment to its shareholders, employees and the communities it serves. I am delighted to continue my involvement with Scripps for the next several years and have the opportunity to spend most of my time in Knoxville.”In his role as a consultant to the Scripps television station group, Hart will work closely with station general managers and the company’s corporate management team to help develop business growth opportunities.Hart came to Scripps from Multimedia Inc., where he served as president of the company’s broadcast television division. The previous 13 years, he was vice president and general manager of WBIR-TV, Multimedia’s NBC affiliate in Knoxville. He also served three years as vice president and general manager of WLWT-TV, Multimedia’s NBC affiliate in Cincinnati. From 1972-78, he was vice president and general manager of WXII-TV in Winston-Salem, N.C.The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national television networks and interactive media. Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast TV stations and three national television networks, with plans to launch a fourth.Scripps national television network brands include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, Do It Yourself and Fine Living, due to launch early in 2002.The company also operates Scripps Howard News Service, United Media, the worldwide licensing and syndication home of PEANUTS and DILBERT, and 31 Web sites, including hgtv.com, foodtv.com, diynet.com and comics.com.