NEW YORK, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AMI Chairman, President and CEO, David J. Pecker, announced today that David Perel has been named Editor in Chief of Star while also continuing in his role as EVP and Managing Editor of Radar Online.  Mr. Pecker also named Jose Lambiet as the new Executive Editor of Radar Online.

Mr. Perel, who has been with the company for 25 years, has a long standing record of accomplishments.  He has previously served as the Editor in Chief of the National Enquirer before joining Radar Online.

Commenting on Perel's appointment, Mr. Pecker said:  "David Perel's extensive experience as a news gatherer will add a new dimension to Star that I am confident will create even more consumer appeal.  While managing Radar he built a huge female following which will dovetail perfectly with Star's current readership and allow us to build on it. He will, once again, undoubtedly be a huge asset and an innovative role model for the team."

"If it's a hot story, we're going to break it in Star magazine," added David Perel. "We will take Star's readers inside Hollywood and give them everything they want to know about their favorite celebrities and the biggest stories. I'm looking forward to expanding the reach of this great brand and I am grateful to David Pecker for this exciting opportunity."

Mr. Perel will continue to report directly to Mr. Pecker.

Radar Online, based in Hollywood, is dedicated to providing 24/7 coverage, breaking more celebrity news stories than any other site in the category.  The website has repeatedly scooped the competition on some of the biggest stories of the past year, including exclusive gets surrounding the ongoing scandals involving Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods, Lindsay Lohan and the famous taped rants of Mel Gibson.

Most recently, Lambiet served as a key editor at the Palm Beach Post, having created the column, Page Two, as well as overseeing its successful gossip site, Page2live.com.  Mr. Lambiet has been reporting on celebrities for nearly 20 years and brings with him a passionate energy for giving pop culture fans exactly what they want.  In addition to working for the Palm Beach Post, Lambiet served as a contributor to Forbes.com, The Sun Sentinel and AMI's own, Star.

In making the announcement, Mr. Pecker, said, "I've had the pleasure of working with Jose over the years and am certain that his wealth of leadership qualities and exciting ideas will continue to make Radar online the go-to site for all things celebrity news.  His experience in this category combined with his strong journalistic talent makes him an asset to our already stellar group."

Commenting on his new role at AMI, Lambiet said, "I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve Radar online as its new Executive Editor.  I look forward to further building on the brand's enormous momentum created by David Perel, continuing to make it the most influential voice in the celebrity online market."

Mr. Lambiet will report to Mr. Perel effective today.

About American Media, Inc.

American Media, Inc. is the leading publisher of celebrity journalism and health and fitness magazines in the U.S.  These include Star, Shape, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Natural Health, and The National Enquirer.  In addition to print properties, AMI manages 14 different web sites. The company also owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country's #1 in-store magazine merchandising company.

SOURCE American Media, Inc.