There are 9.1 million women reading a women's weekly magazine each week - There's been a 79% increase in the number of titles since 2002 - There are 3 million exclusive weekly readers - The real-life sector reach more AB women than Vogue, Tatler and Harper's Baazar combined - The retail value of weeklies has doubled in the past 10 years standing at £503.5million Weekly magazines reach 16.4 million women in a month and 65% of the population in a year Weekly magazines carry 10 percentage points less advertising per month - Weekly advertisers have a greater share of voice - The classics titles sell nearly 7 million copies each month and reaches 12% of the female population - Celebrity titles are the most efficient media for reaching 18-24 year old women when compared with TV, radio and monthly magazines

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Press Release

The National Magazine Company to

acquire 100% of weekly joint venture

Wednesday, 5 March 2008. The National Magazine Company, the Hearst Corporation's principal business in the UK, today announces that it has agreed to acquire ACP's 50% interest in ACP-NatMag. 

The business, which publishes three large-scale weekly magazines, Best, Reveal and Real People, will be fully integrated into the infrastructure of the National Magazine Company under the management of Duncan Edwards, Chief Executive and Jessica Burley, Managing Director.  As a result of this transaction, Colin Morrison, currently Chief Executive of the former ACP-NatMag joint venture, will leave the business.

As one of the foremost magazine publishers in the UK, the National Magazine Company is renowned for producing quality consumer magazines. It publishes 19 titles including Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Country Living and Cosmopolitan.  NatMag also owns the Hearst Digital Network, which publishes a number of websites including handbag.com and netdoctor.com.

Commenting on the transaction, Duncan Edwards says,

“We have been very pleased with our expanded footprint in the weekly magazine market through our partnership with ACP and with the progress that our titles have made over the last three years.  When ACP indicated that it would like to sell its interest in the joint venture to concentrate on its rapidly growing business in Australasia, we were very happy to acquire its 50% interest.  Hearst, our parent company, continues to enjoy an excellent relationship with ACP through its joint venture in Australasia which publishes Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar and Madison. Colin Morrison has done an excellent job as Chief Executive of the joint venture since it was formed in 2004 and I would like to thank him for all his hard work and wish him all the best for the future. ”

Colin Morrison, the outgoing CEO of ACP-NatMag says,

"The success of ACP-NatMag during the past three years has been due to our excellent weekly magazine teams.  I want to thank them and also everyone at NatMag for making this such an enjoyable and successful three years.  I wish the weekly magazine teams every future success as part of what I believe is, by far, the country's best magazine publishing group."

Ends/

For further information please contact:

Jane Wynyard

PR & Communications Manager

National Magazine Company

020 7439 5211, 07872836722

jane.wynyard@natmags.co.uk

Notes to Editor

About the National Magazine Company

The National Magazine Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst established by William Randolph Hearst in 1910.

The business comprises the core wholly owned business, also called the National Magazine Co and interests in two joint ventures.  These are partnerships with some of the world's best publishers as follows:

NatMag Rodale:

A 50:50 joint venture with Rodale Inc. of the USA which focuses on health and wellbeing.

COMAG:

A 65:35 joint venture with Conde Nast, one of the UK's largest magazine distributors.

NatMag publishes 14 consumer titles in the UK: Coast, Company, Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan Bride, Country Living, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Prima, Prima Baby, SHE, You & Your Wedding, and Zest.  The group publishes three large scale weeklies, Best, Reveal and Real People, and a further two magazines, Men's Health and Runner's World, through NatMag Rodale.

NatMag division, Hearst Digital Network, publishes a number of community websites for NatMag magazines and also includes the Handbag network and www.netdoctor.co.uk, the UK's leading consumer health site.

For more information please log on to www.natmags.co.uk