NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Media, Inc. announced today that it has hired David Zinczenko as Consulting Editorial Director, reporting directly to Chairman and CEO David Pecker.

Zinczenko, the former Executive Vice President and General Manager of Rodale Inc.'s Healthy Living Group, who oversaw all operations for the Men's Health, Women's Health and Prevention brands—as well as creating the bestselling book franchises Eat This, Not That! and The Abs Diet and heading up Rodale Books as GM—will help oversee the editorial direction of Men's Fitness and consult on additional AMI titles including Shape and Natural Health. In addition, Zinczenko will oversee brand extensions for Men's Fitness and other properties, helping to grow them into additional media including books, licensing, video and international.

"No one carries the level of prestige, accomplishment and trust in the health and fitness media that Dave does," says David Pecker, Chairman and CEO of AMI.

During Zinczenko's tenure, Men's Health grew from a single magazine with a 600,000 circulation to an international powerhouse with a US circulation of 1.9 million. Zinczenko launched Men's Health's International in 1994, which expanded into 40 countries with a worldwide circulation of more than 10 million. In 2005 he launched Women's Health, the fastest growing women's magazine in America, which grew to a circulation of 1.5 million with more than a dozen international editions. He also oversaw the launch of the well-received Best Life and started Men's Health Books in 2009, which produced 8 New York Times best sellers in three years. Under Zinczenko's leadership, Men's Health became the first magazine to become available on the iPad, and grew its digital subscriptions to more than 100,000 in 15 months.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the team at Men's Fitness and American Media," says Zinczenko. "Men's Fitness is poised to seize a greater chunk of the healthy lifestyle category, and I'm excited to be part of David's ambitious growth plan."

Since its re-launch last summer, Men's Fitness is experiencing its biggest growth period ever, with newsstand sales up 29% in the second half of 2012, according to the Alliance for Audited Media (formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations). Men's Fitness Ad pages for 2013 are already significantly ahead of 2012, with the March issue up 32%, the highest increase among its competitive set.

"I'm looking forward to working with David Zinczenko and expect him to play an important part in the continued success of Men's Fitness, ultimately helping to build on the tremendous growth we have achieved in the last year," said Michael De Medeiros, Men's Fitness editor-in-chief.

About American Media, Inc.

American Media, Inc. (AMI) 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, 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, CountryWeekly.com, Shape.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and FitPregnancy.com. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of 7.4 million and reach more than 55 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach an average of 41 million unique visitors and 194 million page views monthly.

AMI also provides Publishing Services 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.

SOURCE American Media, Inc.