Raycom Media and The E.W. Scripps Company announced today that they are entering into a development partnership. The companies said in the announcement that the arrangement “brings the strengths of their respected local broadcast operations together to create and grow new and original programming across daytime, early fringe and access dayparts.”

The partnership also will develop content for the companies’ digital products. The partnership has a combined reach of 29% of U.S. households, including 12 of the top 40 designated market areas.

In announcing the deal, Paul McTear, President and CEO of Raycom Media, said: “The strength of our two companies with a rich history in local broadcasting will bring a financial and creative strength to this development consortium. This will not only allow us to create programming for our broadcast platforms but provide entertaining, informative and above all engaging content for our audiences on any platform they choose to consume our content.”

Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps broadcast division, added: “As the broadcasting industry continues to evolve, we must continue to explore new opportunities to deliver compelling content to our audiences. We envision a flourishing partnership with Raycom Media that will lead to relevant content with mass appeal across diverging demographics. Partnering with other broadcast groups rather than competing against them is a dynamic new way to succeed in this industry, and Scripps and Raycom Media are leading the way.”