John Lansing, 53, is president of Scripps Networks, an operating unit of the parent company. He has strategic and operational oversight of the company's portfolio of leading national lifestyle cable networks, including HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Fine Living Network and Great American Country (GAC), HGTV.com, Foodnetwork.com, DIYnetwork.com, FineLiving.com, and their associated Web sites and other interactive businesses.
Lansing joined Scripps Networks in January 2004 as executive vice president, from The E.W. Scripps Company headquarters in Cincinnati, where, since September 2000, he had been senior vice president for television in charge of the Scripps broadcasting division, including 10 television stations. Prior to holding that position, Lansing worked at two Scripps-owned affiliates: WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was vice president and general manager; and WXYZ in Detroit, where he worked as vice president and station manager.
Lansing began his career as a news photographer at age 17 at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Ky. He then became chief news photographer, and later managing editor, at WAVE-TV in Louisville, Ky., from 1980 to 1986. He joined WWMT-TV Grand Rapids, Mich. as news director until 1988, when he returned to his hometown of Minneapolis to become the assistant news director at KARE-TV. Two years later, he was named news director at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and then promoted to news director at WBBM-TV in Chicago.
In 2006, The Delaney Report named Lansing the Cable Broadcasting Executive of the Year for his part in keeping Scripps' lifestyle networks "fresh, informative and lively." In 1994, Lansing led the WCCO I-Team in achieving the Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Award. He also is the recipient of an AWRT National Commendation for editorial writing in 1993. In 1990 he led the KARE Special Projects team to a National Headliner Award for community service; and in 1989 was named Gannett Television News Executive of the Year.
Lansing is a cum laude graduate of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky. He remains a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., one of the nation's top schools for professional journalists. He is a frequently requested speaker on topics relating to leadership and high-performance organizations.
Lansing previously served on the board of the Scripps Foundation. He chaired the United Way of Greater Knoxville 2009 Campaign, and serves on the board of the Knoxville Area Urban League.
