'Better' Television Show Expands Its Reach to 140 Markets, Including New York and the CW Network PLUS

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP) announced today that Better, its daily lifestyle television show, will begin airing September 12 on WNYW-TV, the FOX affiliate in New York, the nation's largest television market. In addition, The CW Network PLUS will add Better to its lineup this fall, bringing viewership to more than 140 markets nationwide. Better, which will be entering its fifth season, will now reach nearly 80 percent of U.S. television households and be available in nine of the nation's Top 10 markets.

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Better leverages Meredith's home, shelter, and parenting expertise and is based on content from category-leading brands such as Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Family Circle, More and Fitness. Better launched in 2007 and consistently rates No. 1 in its time period in numerous markets.

"Stations nationwide want to be a part of Better because of its proven track record and the new local dollars it generates through both advertising revenues and product integration," said Paul Karpowicz, President of the Meredith Local Media Group. "Clearly, Better is one of the hottest properties in women's lifestyle programming."

The show's fifth season also marks the arrival of JD Roberto, who will join Audra Lowe as co-host. JD has numerous film and television appearances to his credit, and is best known to reality TV fans as the host of ABC's How To Get The Guy and TBS's hit relationship show Outback Jack. He has also served as a regular guest host for E! News Live. JD will offer a male perspective to the lifestyle topics covered on Better, including his parenting experience chronicled on his website The Hands On Dad.

Better's unique model allows local television stations to add significant advertising dollars to the bottom line. Stations have the opportunity – but are not required – to localize up to eight minutes of the syndicated national show. Often, this includes the sale of local product integration or product placement, as well as sponsorship of news and entertainment features.

"Better is a fresh, innovative and vibrant approach to digital convergence. The strip is bright and inviting, with lots of useful information to share with viewers, particularly women," said Russell H. Myerson, EVP-General Manager, The CW Network PLUS. "The crossover from television to the web and to Meredith's magazines encourages consumers to take bites from all three platforms."

The fifth season of Better will launch in a new, state-of-the-art 60 x 40 foot studio in midtown Manhattan. The studio was designed by acclaimed production designer, Jeff Hall, whose credits include numerous top television studios and reality television homes, in addition to work in the music and video, concert and themed-entertainment spaces. The full HD studio boasts the following in latest technology:

• ETC – ION touch screen lighting control, six HD cameras:
  • 3 – HD Panasonic AJ-HPX3100G studio cameras on pedestals
  • 2 – HD Panasonic AW-HE50H HD Integrated PTZ Robotic Cameras
  • 1 – HD Panasonic AK-HC1500 camera on a 19 foot Jib
• Chyron Duet LEX 3.1 HD 2 channel graphics system
• Grass Valley Concerto 32x32 HD router
• RTS ZeusLT intercom system with 4 wireless belt-packs
• 8 – Lectrosonics wireless microphones
• Wheatstone D-8 audio console
• Ross 4 channel HD video server
• Fiber connectivity throughout the facility for remote cameras
• 10 - Avid Nitris DX edit system
• Avid Interplay Media Management
• 160 TB of Avid ISIS video storage
• 2 - Avid Airspeed Multi Stream video servers

"As we enter our fifth season, it's clear that Better's popularity among local stations and viewers continues to grow across the country," said Kieran Clarke, Executive Vice President of Meredith Video Studios. "Better's focus on family, fashion, fitness, food and live musical performances draws enthusiastic viewers, while the sale of local product integration adds significant revenue for stations. It's a win-win for local television stations."

About Meredith Corporation

Meredith Corporation (www.meredith.com) is one of the nation's leading media and marketing companies with businesses centering on magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, integrated marketing and interactive media. Meredith owns or operates 13 television stations that reach nearly 10 percent of television households across the country and one radio station: WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta; WPCH-TV (TBS), Atlanta; KPHO-TV (CBS), Phoenix; KPDX-TV (MYN), Portland, OR; KPTV (FOX), Portland, OR; WFSB-TV (CBS), Hartford-New Haven, CT; WSMV-TV (NBC) Nashville, TN; KCTV (CBS), Kansas City, MO; KSMO (MYN), Kansas City, MO; WHNS-TV (FOX), Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC-Asheville, NC; WNEM-TV (CBS), Flint-Saginaw, MI; KVVU-TV (FOX), Las Vegas, NV; and WSHM, (CBS), Springfield, MA and radio station WNEM-AM in Saginaw-Bay City, MI.

SOURCE Meredith Corporation

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