Meredith Corporation

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Meredith Corporation
Public
Traded as NYSEMDP
Industry Media
Founded 1902
Headquarters Des Moines, Iowa
Key people
Steve Lacy, Chairman and CEO
Joseph H. Ceryanec, CFO
John S. Zieser, CDO
Products Newspapers
Magazines
Television
Educational Services
Websites
Revenue US$1.47 billion (2013)
Number of employees
3,900 (2015)[1]
Slogan We inspire. She makes it happen.
Website www.meredith.com

The Meredith Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The company has two divisions, National Media and Local Media.

History

Former logo from 1960s to 2009

Edwin Thomas Meredith founded the company in 1902 when he began publishing Successful Farming magazine. In 1922, Meredith began publishing Fruit, Garden and Home magazine, a home and family service publication. Two years later, this magazine was retitled Better Homes and Gardens,[2][3] and the first issue cost a dime on the newsstand. In 1930, they published the first edition of The Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. By 1928, the company had combined circulations of 2.5 million.

The company went public in 1946 and was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1965. Following its initial public offering, Meredith began acquiring television stations, a strategy it has continued over the decades.[4]

Recently, Meredith has introduced numerous other female-oriented consumer brands and has expanded its reach, through acquisitions and strategic partnerships, to become the leading media and marketing company serving the adult female audience in the United States. The company has extended its media and marketing platform around the globe, through acquisitions and strategic licensing relationships. In recent years, Meredith has acquired allrecipes.com from Reader's Digest Association,[5] mywedding.com.,[6] Selectable Media,[7] and Shape, Natural Health and Fit Pregnancy from American Media Inc.[8]

In February 2013, Meredith and Time Warner held discussions on a possible purchase of Time Inc. to Meredith.[9]

On September 8, 2015, Media General announced the acquisition of Meredith Corporation in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.4 billion. Pending regulatory and shareholder approval, the deal is expected to be consummated in June 2016. The combined company will operate under the name Meredith Media General, and be the third-largest owner of television stations in the United States—serving an estimated 30% of households. To comply with FCC ownership limits, the company will divest and/or swap stations in six markets. Media General shareholders will control 65% of the company, with Meredith shareholders holding 35%.[10]

Divisions

National media

Magazines

Meredith magazines include the following brands:

Defunct magazines include:

Digital media

Local media

The broadcasting division owns 15 television stations. Meredith's broadcasting division also produces Better, which was originally conceived as a brand extension of BH&G. Since its inception in 2007 the show has placed an increasing emphasis on celebrity interviews and music performances. There are also cooking demonstrations and regular features on health, beauty, fitness and fashion. The program currently airs on 80 stations nationwide.[13]

On December 23, 2013, Meredith announced plans to buy St. Louis CBS affiliate KMOV and Phoenix independent station KTVK for $407.5 million in cash from Gannett Company and Sander Media, LLC to satisfy a federal mandate that Gannett sell KMOV.[14] The purchase of KMOV was completed on February 28, 2014,[15] while the KTVK sale was completed on June 19.[16]

Meredith has also struck deals to acquire ABC affiliate WGGB in Springfield, Massachusetts from Gormally Broadcasting for $53.8 million[17] and Fox affiliate WALA in Mobile, Alabama from LIN Media for $86 million.[18]

Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.

Current Meredith-owned stations

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)
Owned Since Primary affiliation
Mobile WALA-TV 10 (9) 2014 Fox
Phoenix KPHO-TV 5 (17) 1952 CBS
KTVK 3 (24) 2014 Independent
Hartford - New Haven WFSB 3 (33) 1997 CBS
Atlanta[19] WGCL-TV 46 (19) 1999 CBS
Springfield, Massachusetts WSHM-LD
(semi-satellite of WFSB)
3 (21) 2004 CBS
WGGB-TV 40 (40) 2014 ABC
Fox (DT2)
Bay City - Flint - Saginaw, MI WNEM-TV 5 (22) 1969 CBS
MyNetworkTV (DT2)
Kansas City, Missouri KCTV 5 (24) 1953 CBS
KSMO-TV 62 (47) 2005 MyNetworkTV
St. Louis KMOV 4 (24) 2014 CBS
Henderson - Las Vegas, NV KVVU-TV 5 (9) 1985 Fox
Bend, Oregon KUBN-LD
(semi-satellite of KPDX)
43 (43) 2006 MyNetworkTV
Portland, OR - Vancouver, WA KPTV 12 (12) 2002 Fox
KPDX 49 (30) 1997 MyNetworkTV
Greenville - Spartanburg - Asheville WHNS 21 (21) 1997 Fox
Nashville WSMV-TV 4 (19) 1995 NBC

Meredith also operates independent station WPCH-TV (channel 17) in Atlanta under a local marketing agreement with Time Warner subsidiary Turner Broadcasting System.[19]

Former Meredith-owned stations

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)
Years Owned Current Ownership Status
Phoenix KASW 61 (49) 1 The CW affiliate owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Fresno KSEE 24 (38) 1984–1993 NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Ocala - Gainesville, FL WOGX
(semi-satellite of WOFL)
51 (31) 1996–2002 Fox owned-and-operated (O&O)
Orlando - Daytona Beach WOFL 35 (22) 1983–2002 Fox owned-and-operated (O&O)
WCPX-TV 6 (26) 1997 2 CBS affiliate, WKMG-TV, owned by Graham Media Group
Omaha WOW-TV 6 (22) 1951–1975 NBC affiliate, WOWT, owned by Gray Television
Syracuse, New York WHEN-TV/WTVH ** 5 (47) 1948–1993 CBS affiliate owned by Granite Broadcasting
(operated under LMA by Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Bend, Oregon KFXO-LD 39 (39) 1997–2007 Fox affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
Pittsburgh WPGH-TV 53 (43) 1978–1986 Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Cleveland - Chattanooga, TN WFLI-TV 53 (42) 2004–2008 The CW affiliate owned by MPS Media
(operated under LMA by New Age Media)
Seattle-Tacoma KCPQ-TV 13 1998-1999 3 Fox affiliate owned by Tribune Broadcasting

Notes:

  • (**) WHEN-TV/WTVH was the only station that was built and signed-on by Meredith.
  • 1 Owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting, Meredith operated KASW under a shared services agreement.
  • 2 WCPX was acquired with the purchases of KPDX and WHNS but was swapped to Post-Newsweek Stations (former name of Graham Media Group) for WFSB a day later. Meredith never held control of the station.
  • 3 Acquired solely to be traded to Tribune for WGCL.

Radio stations

AM Stations FM Stations
City of License/Market Station/
Frequency
Years owned Current Status
Phoenix KPHO-910
(now KGME)
1952–1972 owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
Kansas City, Missouri KCMO-710
(KCMO is now at 810 AM;
710 AM is now WHB)
1953–1983 owned by Cumulus Media
KCMO-FM-94.9 1953–1983 owned by Cumulus Media
Omaha WOW-590
(now KXSP)
1951–1983 owned by E.W. Scripps Company
WOW-FM-92.3
(now KEZO-FM)
1951–1983 owned by E.W. Scripps Company
Syracuse, New York WHEN-620 1954–1976 owned by iHeartMedia
Bridgeport, Michigan WNEM-1250
(now WHHQ)
2004–2013 owned by Ave Maria Communications

Business deals

Meredith Corporation has, through acquisitions and strategic partnerships, transformed the company into a "360 degree" media and marketing powerhouse serving the largest audience of female adults of any media company in the United States. John S. Zieser, Chief Development Officer, has led the company on these business activities, from the acquisition of the Parents, Family Circle and Fitness brands from European media conglomerate Bertelsmann in 2005, to the more recent acquisition of several digital and mobile companies which led to expansion of Meredith's high growth "business-to-business" Integrated Marketing division, to large strategic licensing relationships with Walmart and Realogy relating to the Better Homes and Gardens brand. John Zieser also leads and manages the acceleration of Meredith's consumer brands overseas, through over 35 licensing partnerships with leading media partners around the globe.

In March 2012, Meredith completed the acquisition of allrecipes.com from Reader's Digest Association for $175 million.[20][21]

In October 2014, Meredith announced a 10-year licensing agreement with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to acquire the rights to Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings and marthastewart.com.[22][23]

In November 2014, a month after inking the licensing deal with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Meredith acquired mywedding.com.[6]

See also

References

  1. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/business/media/meredith-publisher-of-magazines-lays-off-100-as-it-reorganizes.html?ref=media
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  4. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/meredith-corporation-history/
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  11. http://ir.meredith.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=653206
  12. http://ir.meredith.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=883401
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  14. Meredith to Expand TV Portfolio with Deal to Add Stations in Phoenix, St. Louis, Meredith press release, December 23, 2013.
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  16. Gannett-Sander Complete Phoenix Sale, TVNewsCheck, Retrieved 19 June 2014.
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External links