Scripps Networks Launches New Online Network

Posted on January 14, 2005

Scripps Networks has announced the launch of an online network for the building industry, HGTVPro.com. HGTVPro is a decade-old dream of Ken Lowe, Home & Garden Television founder and now president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, parent of Scripps Networks. Shortly after the launch of HGTV, Lowe says he saw the opportunity to bring professional-grade information to those in the building industry and to do it with the same visual impact characteristic of Scripps' television networks like HGTV and Food Network.

"The broadband technology of today lets us deliver information to the building trades in a way it could not be done before. Rich video content allows HGTVPro to bridge communications gaps by providing information visually -- the way most people learn best," said Lowe.

The content of the informational, online network has been developed with professional builders, remodelers and contractors in mind. It includes tips and techniques of the industry, new product information, and an insider's perspective on trends in the industry. The majority of the information is delivered in both video and downloadable print formats. HGTVPro launches with more than 100 videos and articles. Spanish-language versions of many of the elements will be added by mid-year. A companion HGTVPro e-newsletter will be distributed bi-monthly free to opt-in subscribers.

Two unique features of HGTVPro showcase the advantage of the full integration of video. The "Virtual Trade Show" will be a year-round, online trade show comprised of three minute video booth tours from the industry's largest trade shows, including the International Builders Show and the National Kitchen and Bath Show. It offers the HGTVPro user the advantage of touring a number of different trade shows and accessing hundreds of manufacturers and distributors on one site.

"Contractor Stories" allow the HGTVPro visitors to sit in on refreshingly open roundtable conversations among contractors. Unrehearsed and unscripted, "Contractors Stories" creates an online community for builders, allowing them to learn from each other's experiences.

HGTVPro's content is based upon the experiences and expertise of both industry experts and real builders and contractors. The editorial team is led by industry veteran Bill Crosby. The video segments are hosted by professional builders, including DIY Network hosts Fuad Reveiz, former professional football player and now owner of a successful custom home construction firm in Tennessee, and Ed Del Grande, a triple master plumber and self-employed contractor with more than 20 years of experience in the construction business. HGTVPro.com also has partnerships with National Association of Home Builders, the country's largest building industry organization, and Build IQ, a think tank for best building practices.

"HGTVPro provides 'prosumers' a high level of information before they undertake a building or remodeling project and gives them the tools to more confidently communicate with their builder or remodeler," Zarchin says. "While it is a site for pros by pros, it still allows prosumers to 'peek over the fence' and better understand their builder's world."