On Jan. 31, 2003, Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'A' senior unsecured debt rating to E.W. Scripps Co.'s $50 million 3.75% notes due 2008. These securities were drawn down from the company's shelf registration. Proceeds will be used to repay a portion of Scripps' commercial paper borrowings. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'A/A-1' corporate credit rating on the company. Total debt as of December 2002 was about $725 million. The outlook on the Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered diversified media company is stable. The ratings on Scripps reflect the company's diversified portfolio of media properties, healthy internal cash generation, and a satisfactory financial profile. Operations include 21 daily newspapers, 10 broadcast television stations, four cable and satellite