The E.W. Scripps Company has appointed television industry veteran Tom Zappala as head of programming for its national television networks business, effective Jan. 25. In this new role, Zappala will be responsible for developing and executing programming strategy for the new Scripps networks. He will report to Jonathan Katz, chief operating officer and head of entertainment for Scripps networks. Zappala brings over 30 years of programming and production experience, having held leadership roles at entertainment giants including Viacom, The Walt Disney Company and CBS. Most recently, he led programming strategy for MGM Global Networks' linear and digital networks. In this role, Zappala negotiated and acquired third-party product to support program initiatives and stunts, oversaw digital scheduling functions and facilitated renewal discussions with MVPDs and digital partners. Previously, Zappala served as executive vice president, programming for Viacom Media Networks and, from 2003-2011, as executive vice president of programming at The Walt Disney Company, developing programming and co-production strategies for its cable network groups.