News Releases
NEW YORK, NY (March 30, 2009) – Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP) announced today that Better – its daily lifestyle television show – will soon air in 50 markets across the country, including half of the nation’s top 10 markets. Top 10 markets Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are the latest to be cleared as broadcast groups across the country recognize its effectiveness in generating new local revenues.
“Better has added significant local dollars in our markets, and now more and more station groups want to participate in our success,” said Paul Karpowicz, President of the Meredith Broadcasting Group. “Our model allows stations to localize up to eight minutes of the syndicated national show. In addition to advertising, the revenue stream typically includes local product integration and sponsorship of news and entertainment segments.”
Dallas television station KTXA-TV, owned by CBS, will begin airing the hour-long daily show based on content from Meredith’s brand portfolio this spring. Houston’s KTBU-TV and Atlanta’s WGCL-TV will also add Better to their line-ups. Other recent deals include stations in the Albany, Columbus and Dayton markets. Tribune also renewed the show for another year at WPHL-TV in Philadelphia and LIN TV re-signed the show at six of its stations. The agreements increase Better’s viewership to approximately 35 percent of U.S. households.
“Better has a successful track record and it’s unique to the marketplace,” said Steve Mauldin, President and General Manager of Dallas/Fort Worth duopoly KTVT-TV and KTXA-TV. “The station-friendly format allows us to localize it and generate new local advertising revenue through product integration. It’s a well-produced program. We like the talent and the content.”
Better launched in March 2007 and immediately pulled stronger ratings than most daytime syndicated shows. The show consistently rates No. 1 in its time period in numerous markets.
“Better is becoming a player of scale in women’s lifestyle programming,” said Kieran Clarke, Executive Vice President of Meredith Video Solutions. “The show offers viewers fresh, entertaining daytime programming, and provides advertisers new ways to reach their target audiences.”
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 12 television stations that reach nearly 10 percent of television households across the country and one radio station: WGCL-TV (CBS), 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.
Media Contact: Jen Harken, 515.284.3125 or jen.harken@meredith.com