Scripps Turns Fine Living Into Cooking Channel

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. is turning Fine Living into the Cooking Channel and moving the cable network from the hills of Tennessee to New York City's food-oriented Chelsea Market.

Scripps spokeswoman Cindy McConkey says Fine Living employees were told Thursday. The revamped channel will launch in third quarter of 2010.

About 20 jobs will be lost at Scripps' 1,000-employee headquarters in Knoxville, though Scripps hopes to find other positions for those workers locally.

Scripps Networks created Fine Living in 2002. The channel reaches 55 million households but hasn't grown as fast as its Knoxville-based sister networks HGTV and DIY Network, both geared to all things about homes.

In New York, the rebranded Cooking Channel will be paired with Scripps' successful acquisition, The Food Network, in studios the company already owns there.

Noting about a third of Fine Living's programming already is food related, McConkey said, "We see huge upside in the cooking category and expect exponential growth with the rebranding."

The move "is not about the failure of Fine Living," she said. "It is more about an opportunity in the cooking category and to speed up the growth and success of our fifth network."

Scripps' fifth network is the Nashville-based country music channel Great American Country.

The company described the new Cooking Channel as a 24-hour network that "caters to avid food lovers by focusing on food information and instructional cooking programming." Scripps will offer video on demand and interactive Internet to complement the channel.

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Scripps Networks: http://www.scrippsnetworks.com/