American Media Strengthens Country Weekly by Incorporating Its County Music Title

Business Wire, June 12, 2003

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2003

Steven Aaron, Senior Vice-President, Group Publisher of American Media, Inc. (AMI), today announced that AMI's Country Music will publish its final stand-alone edition on July 15 when the August-September edition goes on sale. After that, Country Music Magazine will be folded into AMI's Country Weekly, the nation's largest selling magazine covering country music, country stars and the country lifestyle.

"Country Weekly is such a powerful franchise and its strength in the marketplace is second to none," said Mr. Aaron, adding that consumer interest in the country lifestyle is robust.

"What makes sense, then, is to combine the best and brightest of Country Music into an even stronger Country Weekly brand and deliver comprehensive coverage of the music and the scene in one package," Mr. Aaron said.

Beginning in the second half of 2003, Country Weekly will deliver a bonus circulation to advertisers and will increase its rate base to 450,000, from the current 400,000 effective with issues of January 2004.

American Media, Inc., is one of the largest media companies in the U.S. The company publishes six of the 14 best selling weekly magazines, including the Number 2 and Number 4 titles, The National Enquirer and Star. AMI recently acquired Weider Publications, the leading publisher of health and fitness magazines, including Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Flex, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. The company also publishes the best selling country music magazine, Country Weekly; a Latino entertainment magazine, Mira!; two automotive magazines, AMI's Auto World and NOPI Street Performance Compact; and more than 200 Mini-Mags and Digests. AMI recently launched its own book division with 10 titles released to date. In addition to print properties, AMI owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country's Number 1 in-store magazine merchandising company.