News Releases

Apr 28, 2008
Study Reveals Women Feeling Growing Financial Pressures on Family Life
Findings Reveal Insights on What Key Issues Matter Most to Women and Role Women Play in Shaping the Upcoming Presidential Election
PRNewswire-FirstCall
NEW YORK
(NYSE:MDP)

NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a unique collaboration between two of the nation's leading media companies, Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP) and NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) today announced key findings of a nationwide survey conducted among more than 3,000 women that covered a wide range of important topics to women, including marriage and family, health and fitness, safety, and financial matters.

The below findings from the Meredith/NBC Universal "What do Women Want?"™ study examines why the economy and personal financial challenges are at the forefront of the upcoming Presidential election and how women are shaping the debate. Women and their families are experiencing tremendous financial woes -- on issues ranging from housing to credit card debt to healthcare -- and are very concerned about their long term financial security.

  --  Two-thirds (68%) of women cite "financial strain" as a major threat to
      the American Family -- and a much bigger threat than "divorce" (48%),
      "loss of faith/spirituality" (47%), "liberal views on sex and
      sexuality" (32%), "both parents working" (28%), "unwed mothers" (21%)
      and "couples living together instead of getting married" (19%)
  --  The majority (79%) of women in dual income HHs say it is "essential
      for both spouses/partners to be employed in order to make ends meet"
  --  Six in 10 women are concerned about being able to pay their bills each
      month (60%) -- especially high among single mothers with children
      under 18 (80%)
  --  72% of women are concerned about rising taxes -- especially Boomer
      women (81%)
  --  4 in 10 (38%) women "feel overwhelmed by financial burdens" -- even
      higher for Gen X (47%) and mothers of children under 18 (47%) and
      single mothers with children under 18 (52%)
  --  4 in 10 (38%) women have incurred medical debt -- even higher among
      mothers of children under 18 (49%), especially young mothers 18-34
      (59%)
  --  Only 15% of women say they do not have any debt
  --  22% of women report being over $20,000 in non-mortgage debt -- even
      higher for Gen X women (30%)
  --  Three quarters of women are concerned about the future of social
      security (77%) and saving enough for retirement (75%)

"What do Women Want?"™ brings together the resources of Meredith, recognized for its well-known media brands such as Ladies' Home Journal, More, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Fitness, Siempre Mujer and BHG.com among others, and NBC Universal whose brands include The Today Show, MSNBC, Bravo, Oxygen, Access Hollywood, Telemundo, and iVillage.

                           DETAILED FINDINGS*:

  Women & Financial Woes:

  Housing

  --  57% of women are concerned about being able to pay monthly
      mortgage/rent -- even higher among Gen X women (65%) and mothers with
      children under 18 (64%) and single mothers with children under 18
      (72%)
  --  One quarter (26%) of women and/or their partners are counting on real
      estate and home equity for retirement
  --  72% of women are concerned about rising taxes -- even higher among
      Boomer women (81%)


  Non-Mortgage Debt & Credit Cards

  --  85% of women report being in some sort of debt -- with Gen Y women
      being the least likely to have debt (24% report no debt)
  --  22% of women have over $20,000 in debt, excluding mortgage debt --
      Gen X (30%) especially likely to be more than $20,000 in non-mortgage
      related debt
  --  62% of women have credit card debt -- even higher among Gen X (72%)
      and young mothers 18-34 (70%)
  --  51% of women are concerned about credit card debt -- even higher among
      Gen X (64%)
  --  28% of women say "credit card debt prevents me from saving for the
      future" -- even higher for Gen X women (36%)
  --  Only 31% of women report paying off their credit card bills every
      month -- even lower for Gen X (26%), young mothers 18-34 (21%) and
      single mothers with children under 18 (21%)
  --  26% say they "dread the arrival of their credit card bills every
      month" -- even higher among Gen X women (35%) and mothers of children
      under 18 (34%) and single mothers with children under 18 (41%)


  Healthcare

  --  Nearly half (46%) of women are extremely concerned about rising health
      care costs -- especially high among Boomer women (55%) and single
      mothers with children under 18 (52%)
  --  38% have incurred debt from medical bills -- even higher among mothers
      of children under 18 (49%), especially young mothers 18-34 (59%)
  --  One in 5 (18%) women report that they do not have health insurance
      coverage -- even higher among single mothers with children under
      18 (24%)
  --  Among those women who do have health coverage, nearly half (46%) are
      worried about being able to afford healthcare when they retire and 40%
      say their "co-payments keep increasing and becoming too expensive"
  --  Baby Boomer women with health insurance coverage are especially likely
      to be worried about how they will afford healthcare when they retire
      (52%) as are single mothers with children under 18 (53%)
  --  One-quarter of insured women say they "can only afford generic
      prescriptions" (25%) and "sometimes don't fill a prescription because
      it is too expensive" (22%)
  --  Single mothers are especially likely to say that they can only afford
      generic brand prescriptions (38%)
  --  18% of single mothers with children under 18 also say that their
      current healthcare coverage doesn't include all members of their
      family (vs. 11% of Total insured women) and to say that "the family
      plan is too expensive to add to my existing plan" (23% vs. 9% Total
      insured women)
  --  When given a list of social issues that affect American society,
      "uninsured Americans" is among the top 5 concerns among women along
      with "child abuse", "drug/substance abuse", "domestic violence", and
      "homelessness"


  Women & Their Financial Future

  Retirement & Social Security

  --  Three quarters of women are concerned about the future of social
      security (77%) and saving enough for retirement (75%) -- Baby Boomer
      women are especially concerned about the future of social security
      (84%) while Gen X women are particularly concerned about saving enough
      for retirement (84%)
  --  Two-thirds (67%) of women and/or their partners are counting on social
      security for retirement -- this is especially high for Baby Boomer
      women (79%)
  --  Two-thirds of Gen X women and/or their partners are counting on social
      security (65%) and their 401(k)/Roth/IRAs for retirement (64%)
  --  32% of women and/or their partners are counting on a company pension
      for retirement, especially Boomer women (42%)
  --  Mothers of children under 18 and single mothers are more likely than
      most to be concerned about saving enough for retirement as well
      (82%, 85% respectively)


  Personal Savings & Investing

  --  52% of women and/or their partners are counting on personal
      savings/investments for their retirement
  --  Only half (54%) of women put money in savings on a regular basis --
      somewhat higher for Gen Y (60%)
  --  Only 13% of women say they regularly make investments in stocks, bonds
      or mutual funds
  --  38% say they feel overwhelmed by the complexities of investing

Please credit all data to Meredith/NBC Universal "What do Women Want?" survey of 3,000 women

Applied Research & Consulting conducted an online survey among 3,000** women ages 18-64 from October 1 to October 12, 2007. The data was sample balanced to reflect the U.S. Census Bureau and has an overall margin of error or +/- 2.5% at the 95% confidence level. ** Some sections were administered to a split sample to accommodate the length of the survey.

About NBC Universal

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

About Meredith Corporation

Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP:)(NYSE: http://www.meredith.com) is a one of America's premier media and marketing companies. Meredith combines well-known national brands -- including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Ladies' Home Journal, Family Circle, American Baby, Fitness and More -- with local television brands in fast growing markets. Meredith is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness, and self-development. The Company then uses multiple distribution platforms -- including print, television, online, mobile and video -- to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its marketing partners. Additionally, Meredith uses its many assets to create powerful custom marketing solutions for many of the nation's top brands and companies. The goals of these programs are to increase consumer loyalty and produce repeated consumer interaction. In the last two years, Meredith has significantly added to its capabilities in this area through the acquisition of cutting-edge companies in areas such as online, word-of-mouth and database marketing. Meredith employs approximately 3,000 people throughout the United States, including approximately 1,000 in Des Moines and 750 in New York City. The Company's 2007 annual revenues were $1.6 billion.

SOURCE: Meredith Corporation

CONTACT: Kathy Kelly-Brown, +1-212-664-3457,
Kathy.Kelly-Brown@nbcuni.com, or Kassie Canter, +1-212-651-2013,
Kassie.Canter@nbcuni.com, both of NBC Universal; or Amanda Cortese,
+1-212-551-7087, Amanda.Cortese@meredith.com, or Patrick Taylor,
+1-212-551-6984, Patrick.Taylor@meredith.com, both of Meredith Corporation

Web site: http://www.meredith.com/