Seymour native Ed Spray earned his bachelor’s degree in radio-television with a minor in journalism from Indiana University. He worked as a producer-director for IU Radio and Television Services and then became a film editor and cameraman at WISH-TV in Indianapolis.
In 1966, Ed became producer-director for WMAQ-TV, Chicago, and won five Emmy Awards over his years there. In 1974, he moved across town to WBBM-TV, the CBS-owned station where as program director he led one of commercial television’s most honored programming operations winning nearly all of television’s best-known awards, including National Emmys, two Peabody Awards, and more than 75 local Emmys. Ed transferred to CBS-owned KCBS-TV in Los Angeles in 1986 and served as station manager before being promoted to vice president of programming and development for all CBS-owned stations.
In 1994, Ed joined the E.W. Scripps Company where he was a co-founder of the Home and Garden Cable Television Network, HGTV. The company later acquired the Food Network and under Ed’s leadership launched two more cable networks—DIY and Fine Living. Ed retired as president of Scripps Networks in 2005.