Men's Health Magazine Editor-in-Chief Resigns; Title's Editorial Creative Director Named Editor

    EMMAUS, Pa., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Rodale Inc., the global leader in
 healthy active living information, announced today that Men's Health magazine
 Editor-in-Chief Mike Lafavore has resigned his current position to pursue
 other opportunities.
     "Creating Men's Health and helping to bring the brand to twenty countries
 around the world has been a tremendous amount of fun.  Now it's time to turn
 it over to the great team we've assembled so they can take Men's Health
 forward into the next century," said Lafavore.  "After 11 years of thinking
 about little else but Men's Health, it's time for me to catch up on my
 reading, spend more time poking around the Internet, and looking for a new
 creative challenge."
     The changes will take place effective January 1, 2000.
     Greg Gutfeld, the magazine's Editorial Creative Director has been named
 Editor, and will work under Lafavore's guidance during the transition period.
 Gutfeld joined Rodale in 1990, and has held editorial positions with
 Prevention magazine, and since 1994, with Men's Health.  He is the author of
 two books, The Scorecard (Holt), and The Scorecard at Work (Holt), and has
 been a featured guest on numerous national television and radio programs.
     Lafavore has served as the magazine's editor since 1988, and has won
 numerous honors including being named Editor of the Year by Advertising Age in
 1994, and the International Herald Tribune's International Editor of the Year
 in 1998.  The magazine has twice been nominated for National Magazine Awards
 including the General Excellence Award in 1998.
     "While we are disappointed that Mike has made this decision, he's
 expressed his interest for some time in identifying and finding new creative
 challenges," says John Griffin, President, Rodale Magazine Division.  "He
 leaves a magazine that continues to have record circulation and advertising
 performance in the highly competitive men's category, and we feel confident
 that Greg and the very strong editorial team in place will build upon his
 success with this important global brand."
     According to the most recent Fas-Fax, Men's Health current circulation is
 1,665,038, representing a bonus of over 140,000 on its current rate base level
 of 1,525,000.  Its newsstand sales are averaging 424,922 for the first half of
 1999, compared to 385,227 for the same period last year, making it one of the
 top selling monthly men's magazines in the single copy sales arena.
     The magazine's advertising revenues are expected to reach $70 million in
 1999 compared to $65 million in 1998 according to PIB.  This increase
 represents the tenth consecutive year that Men's Health has improved both its
 circulation and advertising revenue performance.
     Men's Health is the magazine men live by.  A publication of Rodale, it
 provides readers with the latest information on health, fitness, nutrition,
 and lifestyle.  Published ten times a year, it is part of the Rodale Active
 Network, which includes such titles as Bicycling, Runner's World, Prevention,
 Mountain Bike, Backpacker, Fitness Swimmer, Rodale's Scuba Diving, and New
 Woman.  Rodale is headquartered in Emmaus, PA.
 
 

SOURCE  Men's Health