Travel Channel relocating from Maryland; 78 jobs affected

Listen to this article

Nearly 80 jobs will move from Maryland when Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. moves the Travel Channel from Chevy Chase to its headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Scripps Networks told its employees of the plan to relocate the channel last week. The company told the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation that 78 jobs would be ended in the state as a result of the change.

“We are moving the network to our global headquarters in Knoxville to enable Travel Channel to benefit from much deeper resources as we look to further grow reach and audience share,” said said Kristin Alm, a spokeswoman for Scripps Networks.

All of the Travel Channel’s operations are being moved from Maryland, Alm said. Most of the relocated jobs will be shifted to Tennessee, while some will be in Scripps Networks’ offices in New York City.

While moving the network won’t result in the closure of the office, located in a suite at 5425 Wisconsin Ave., Alm couldn’t specify how many jobs would remain there. Government affairs, legal and digital jobs will continue in Maryland, she said.

It was not immediately clear how many employees would choose to move with the channel. No information was available about when the move might start, but right now the goal is to wrap up the move to Tennessee by mid-2016.

Scripps Networks bought a controlling interest in the Travel Channel in 2009. Its other brands include HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.

Each of Scripps Networks’ channels is based in Tennessee, except for the Food Network, which is in Chelsea Market in New York City.