Hearst Magazines and Food Network Collaborate on Magazine Project

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - September 8, 2008) - Hearst Magazines and Food Network today announced that they are partnering to create Food Network Magazine, a publication about food and entertaining that will be tested in the market starting this fall. The magazine will appeal to food lovers and Food Network fans of all ages and culinary abilities, offering pages of accessible recipes and tips, as well as unprecedented access to America's favorite Food Network stars.

The premiere issue is scheduled to hit newsstands nationwide on October 14, with a second test issue planned for January. Initial distribution will be 300,000 copies. Maile Carpenter, formerly executive editor of Every Day with Rachael Ray, is the magazine's editor-in-chief.

The magazine concept is to feature various Food Network talent -- from the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten to Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, Alton Brown and Tyler Florence -- throughout its pages, offering readers their personal tips, tricks and recipes, plus a behind-the-scenes look at their shows and kitchens. Recipes from the Food Network Kitchens will be divided into easy weeknight meals and dishes more suited to weekend entertaining. In addition, the magazine will showcase great kitchen tools, food products, new restaurants, original recipes and the best food across America.

"There is already an enormous and passionate fan following for Food Network and we are capitalizing on that powerful connection with a magazine aimed at these loyal food lovers," said Cathie Black, president, Hearst Magazines. "Food Network Magazine will be lively, fun and accessible just like the network. And we know from other magazines that we already publish, like O, the Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Country Living and Redbook, that food, recipes and entertaining are core subjects of great interest to our readers. We are thrilled to be in partnership with Scripps Networks and its Food Network."

Brooke Johnson, president, Food Network, said Hearst has extensive expertise in magazine publishing, newsstand distribution and joint ventures, which makes them a great fit for this collaboration. "Food Network's goal is to make cooking fun and accessible for everyone, which we believe we will accomplish even further with this magazine test. We are confident there will be a big appetite for a Food Network Magazine and that our viewers will quickly become avid magazine readers."

The first test issue will be 160 total pages -- 110 of them editorial and 50 advertising. Advertisers include: Best Buy, Campbell's, Chevy, Delta, Ford, JCPenney, Kendall-Jackson, Kitchen-Aid, Kodak, Kraft, Lowe's, Nestle, Target and Wal-Mart.

ABOUT HEARST MAGAZINES

Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies with interests in magazines, newspapers, digital media, business media and television. As one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, Hearst Magazines has nearly 200 editions around the world, including 18 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines (75.6 million total adults, according to MRI, Spring 2008). Through its digital media unit, Hearst Magazines operates 23 web sites and nine mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and Seventeen, as well as non-magazine brand sites such as TheDailyGreen.com, MisQuinceMag.com and MyPromStyle.com. Hearst Digital has acquired the eCrush Network (eCRUSH.com, eSPIN.com), Kaboodle.com, Answerology.com and RealAge.com to round out its growing portfolio of interests for teens and women.

ABOUT FOOD NETWORK

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network and Web site that strives to be way more than cooking. The network is committed to exploring new and different ways to approach food -- through pop culture, competition, adventure, and travel -- while also expanding its repertoire of technique-based information. Food Network is distributed to more than 96 million U.S. households and averages more than seven million Web site users monthly. With headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Knoxville, Food Network can be seen internationally in Canada, Australia, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Monaco, Andorra, Africa, France, and the French-speaking territories in the Caribbean and Polynesia. Scripps Networks Interactive, which also owns and operates HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and FINE LIVING (www.fineliving.com), is the manager and general partner.

Contact Information: Media Contacts Hearst Magazines: Jessica Kleiman 212.649.2545 Alex Carlin 212.649.2573 Food Network: Carrie Welch 212.401.2420