Yesterday, we had all the details about the $150 million sale of Triton to Scripps, from the Scripps perspective. They saw Triton as a target and went after it. Today, we hear from Neal Schore who launched the company back in 2006 and grew it into an international success, with a huge client base, in a space where others appear afraid to go. We spoke to Schore about the sale, how he grew the company and his thoughts on the future of streaming.
Radio Ink: Why did you decide to sell the company?
Neal Schore: In short, to accelerate growth. The E.W. Scripps company is a large, like-minded company that can help us grow our team, innovate and accelerate our product suite, and continuously provide unparalleled solutions and top-tier support for our clients around the world.
Radio Ink: How does it feel to build Triton to what it has become and be able to have it acquired for $150 million?
Neal Schore: It’s been an incredible 12-plus years with a number of monumental milestones along the way, including several acquisitions, accreditations, pioneering technology, and trailblazing global expansion. It’s been very rewarding to build our incredible team of people, and to experience the meaningful impact that our company has contributed to the digital audio industry over the years. From our inception in 2006 we took risks, invested heavily in technology, made and corrected plenty of mistakes, forged many partnerships, earned our clients’ trust, and worked hard to understand the challenges of our diverse client base in order to provide them with the products and services necessary to support their digital strategies. In short, I am extremely proud of our team and humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response from our clients.
Radio Ink: What does having Scripps as owner mean for the company? What will it enable you to do better or different?
Neal Schore: We are thrilled to continue our journey with the Scripps company. Being a part of the Scripps family will help us expand our global footprint, cultivate new partnerships, and further expand our product suite to continue to drive the growth of the digital audio and podcast industry, and to support the digital audio strategies of our clients.
Radio Ink: Triton has been an independent company. How do you think the other media companies will accept Triton now being under another media company?
Neal Schore: We will operate as a wholly owned, independent subsidiary of Scripps. Scripps is divesting all its radio station assets, clearing any potential conflict with station owners. Also, we have earned our clients’ trust and they know that we will always try to do the right thing, meaning we will not invite any type of conflict. Last, we have no plans to change how we are structured, the technology and services that we provide, nor any of our responsibilities as a result of this transaction. We are, and will remain, committed to super-serving the needs of our clients and the digital-audio industry at large.
Radio Ink: Where do you believe streaming is headed? What’s the future?
Neal Schore: The streaming audio and podcasting marketplace will continue to grow at a rapid pace, due in part to the ubiquity of smartphones and the growth of smart speakers. Consumers are living a more mobile lifestyle than ever before and are increasingly embracing steaming audio to enjoy their favorite music, talk, sports, and podcast content at a time and place that is most convenient for them.
