At a superficial view, it’s easy to confuse which assets are part of Discovery Communication’s acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI), given that SNI’s former parent, E.W. Scripps, also has some valuable online and cable television network properties. E.W. Scripps spun out SNI and its associated television channel in 2008, but has continued to build an online presence that is expanding into the traditional cable channel space.

An example one of E.W. Scripps’ assets is Newsy. Speaking at The Independent Show, Newsy’s General Manager, Blake Sabatinelli, indicates that Millennial generation is the target audience of Newsy. Its journalistic roots began with a 2009 partnership with the esteemed University of Missouri, School of Journalism.  This partnership provides the foundation for Newsy’s programming, that Sabatinelli says, has more depth than the traditional 24 hour cable news channel and appeals to a Millennial audience turned off by bickering talking heads.

Another difference with this network is that it started life as an online network and is now being offered as a linear TV channel; hence why Newsy was at TIS 17. It will be interesting to track Newsy’s growth into the mainstream. Regardless, Newsy is the sort of hidden asset that Discovery Communications probably wishes was part of their proposed SNI acquisition.