So it's official-Scripps, the owners of Food Network, purchased a 65% share of Travel Channel to become the majority owners. What do you guys think? I hope they don't start with stupid "Next Travel Channel Star" shows and stuff like that.

Above all, I miss PineRidge! Can PineRidge own Travel Channel?

Bluebelles,
I know very little about Scripps (used to be a newspaper chain long ago), although I do know that change in organizations, even when things seem terrible going into it, may indeed end up being very good... but may in other cases make matters even worse than what they were before. With knowing little else, however, it would certainly seem to me to be a better fate for the Travel Channel than what we've seen since it was unloaded by Discovery on the wretched Cox. None of these cable conglomerates appears particularly interested in artistic excellence or intellectual and culural pursuit. But at least now one would hope there'd no longer be reason to pretend to be another food channel, since Scripps already owns one and shouldn't be wanting any competition there, and perhaps real travel shows can once again roam free upon the network that bears its name. But then I never understood how that happened in the first place, and this may still be far too optimistic a hope. I am willing to roll the dice and maybe somewhat better things may transpire. But what do I know?

As for Samantha, of course I have no idea what this could mean for her. I do not know what she thought about Discovery, or Cox, or if she even wishes to remain with the Travel Channel in its newest incarnation. Her career may be going in other directions regardless. I hope this helps her towards where she wants to be, however, with opportunities to better reach her professional dreams. I personally wish this will provide her with the chance to once again write her own material, and return to that uncommon and special rapport with her audience that Bluebelles and many others of us miss from the PineRidge experiences of previous years. Samantha may want something more. I hope she finds it.

I’ve long thought that Samantha may have gone about as far as she can go with the travel genre. Since food is also one of her passions, perhaps this will give her an opportunity to take her career in a new direction.