American Media, Inc. Announces Partnership With Fresh Media Group

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- David J. Pecker, Chairman, President and CEO of American Media, Inc. (AMI), today announced that the company has entered into a long-term partnership with Group FMG (FMG), an international media production agency whose capabilities will allow AMI to engage in cutting edge automated technologies. This deal, estimated to be north of $10 million, will reduce costs and help to optimize services and develop solutions.

The production services provided by FMG will allow AMI to realize significant savings by streamlining its production process, managing cross-media content between print and digital platforms and widen the process to deploy this content across emerging media platforms.  AMI intends to offer these services to its publishing services clients, as well.

"Every publisher today is looking to reduce their costs," added Pecker.  "And being able to provide them with the production efficiencies we developed for AMI's publishing services business unit allows us to build  on this new revenue stream for the our company."

Mike Esposito, Senior Vice President of Operations and Digital Production commented, "FMG is the ideal partner to help AMI continue to optimize its internal production processes as well as it migration to distribute content across digital platforms.  This is the next step in a series of enhancements that AMI began earlier this year."

Dilip Keshu, CEO, Group FMG said, "We are delighted to win this deal. Our combination of underpinning our services with enablers such as industry knowledge, robust processes, technology accelerators and analytics with unique ROI-oriented commercial structures seeks to provide an all-party win."   

Anish Nanavaty who leads Group FMG's Americas business said, "This deal builds on FMG's 30+ years of experience providing the Publishing industry with innovative media production solutions.  Our partnership with AMI on print and digital production processes is a new paradigm for publishers coping with the need to deliver content across multiple channels in a cost efficient manner."   

About American Media, Inc.

American Media, Inc. owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and health and fitness media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Star, OK!, National Enquirer, Globe, Country Weekly, Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly, Pixie, Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. AMI also manages 18 different digital sites including RadarOnline.com, OKmagazine.com, Shape.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and FitPregnancy.com. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of almost 7 million and reach more than 55 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach an average of 10 million unique visitors and 80 million page views monthly.

AMI also operates a Publishing Services business unit which includes Distribution Services, Inc. (DSI), the No. 1 in-store magazine sales and merchandising marketing company in the U.S. and Canada. DSI places and monitors AMI's publications and third-party publications to ensure proper displays in major retail chains and national and regional supermarket chains. DSI also provides marketing, merchandising and information gathering services to third parties including non-magazine clients. Publishing Services also provides print and digital advertising sales and strategic management direction in the following areas: manufacturing, subscription circulation, logistics, event marketing and full back office financial functions.  Playboy is one of many publishers who have taken advantage of these additional services.

About Group FMG

Group FMG is an international media agency that provides solutions in creative design, commerce enablement and production servicesunderpinned by analytics, technology, domain skills and process excellence to help companies adapt to the new marketing environment.

The company has produced award-winning campaigns across multiple platforms including: interactive magazines, e-books, catalogues, e-commerce solutions, portals, websites, video and loyalty programs.  Fortune 1000 clients include Boden, Sandals, Sears, Staples, Disney, Peugeot, IBM, Hearst, Pepsi Max, Harper Collins, Yahoo, among others.

The firm operates dual headquarters in London and New York with additional offices in Asia.

Contact Information:
Samantha Trenk
American Media, Inc.
Vice President, Public Relations
212.545.4896

SOURCE American Media, Inc.