Next Issue Media Names Morgan Guenther CEO

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Concluding an extensive search, Next Issue Media, the eReading joint venture of Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corporation and Time Inc., has named Morgan Guenther as Chief Executive Officer, the company announced today.  In leading Next Issue Media, Mr. Guenther, based in San Francisco, will draw on his deep entrepreneurial experience heading and advising innovative companies rooted in Silicon Valley.

Mr. Guenther assumes management responsibility immediately for Next Issue Media, six months after the joint venture first announced plans to develop open standards for a new digital storefront and related technology that will allow consumers to enjoy their favorite media content on portable digital devices.  He will lead the venture from its new San Francisco office.

"Next Issue Media is well positioned to create and deliver incremental business opportunities to the magazine and newspaper publishing world," said Mr. Guenther.  "The potential for value creation across the entire industry ecosystem – including consumers, advertisers, publishers and distributors – is massive.  Our task now is to execute on that potential, and I'm excited to be leading the charge here."

Most recently, Mr. Guenther served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AirPlay, a wireless entertainment services company.  Prior to this position, he was with TiVo Inc., as President from 2001 through 2003 and before that as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Revenue Operations.  Mr. Guenther sits on several other technology company boards and is also a former partner at Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP.

"At TiVo, Morgan helped change the way people watch television. With Next Issue Media, he will help us stimulate digital innovations that redefine, personalize and enhance the experience of reading magazines, newspapers and other types of content," said Robert A. Sauerberg Jr., Group President, Conde Nast Consumer Marketing and Chairman of the Board of Next Issue Media. "Morgan will continue to build upon the strong groundwork, strategic thinking and product development that John Squires initiated. All five Next Issue Media partners strongly believe in the potential of the forming eReading marketplace and are fully committed to this venture. We wish John well in his pursuit of new opportunities after helping Morgan through the transition."

"I have been delighted to help launch this joint venture involving five of the largest magazine and newspaper publishers in the world," said John Squires.  "We've set the groundwork for an exciting business and I've enjoyed helping many of my colleagues and friends embrace this terrific new publishing opportunity."  

About Next Issue Media

Next Issue Media is an innovative, end-to-end digital publishing platform founded by five leading global publishers and designed initially to develop, market and deliver magazines and newspapers, and ultimately other kinds of digital content, to consumers via the device of their choice.  Its mission is to provide not only publishers, but advertisers, consumers and technology partners alike, an easy and economical entree into the eReading channel. For more information, please visit www.nextissuemedia.com.

SOURCE Next Issue Media