Country Weekly Announces New Hire, Promotion

Country Weekly Announces New Hire, Promotion

Jon Freeman Joins Staff as Deputy Editor of Country Lifestyle Publication

Joseph Hudak Named Managing Editor

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lisa Konicki, Editor-in-Chief of Country Weekly, announced today an addition to her team of senior staff with the hiring of Jon Freeman as Deputy Editor. He will report directly to Konicki and Managing Editor Joseph Hudak, who assumed the role of Managing Editor in October.

Freeman most recently served as Managing Editor of MusicRow, overseeing the Nashville music industry publication's website content as well as its national radio chart. Freeman is a graduate of Auburn University and also attended Belmont University in Nashville. Among his duties as Deputy Editor, Freeman will help oversee Country Weekly's digital components, including CountryWeekly.com.

"As a regular reader of Country Weekly, I am very excited about the opportunity to be part of the team that makes it all happen," said Freeman. I look forward to beginning this new chapter of my career and building upon the magazine's iconic brand."

Hudak joined Country Weekly in August as Deputy Editor and has helped Editor-in-Chief Konicki further establish the brand as the leader in all things country music--from music news and artist profiles to country-lifestyle features. Prior to coming onboard with Country Weekly, Hudak was Senior Editor at TV Guide Magazine.

"I couldn't be happier with the staff we've put together at Country Weekly," said Konicki. "As our new Deputy Editor, Jon brings a unique perspective to both the magazine and CountryWeekly.com, one informed by his years of experience reporting on the music industry. I look forward to Jon joining me, Joseph and the rest of the CW team as we further cement Country Weekly's reputation as the go-to destination for country fans."

Freeman will be based at Country Weekly's Nashville headquarters.

As America's premier country entertainment source for 18 years, Country Weekly and CountryWeekly.com deliver the inside stories on country music's hottest stars, featuring late-breaking news and the scoop on star lifestyles, families, homes, favorite foods and latest fashions. Country Weekly is published 52 times a year by parent company American Media, Inc. and is also available at www.countryweekly.com.

About American Media, Inc.?

American Media, Inc. (AMI) owns and operates the leading print and digital celebrity and health and fitness media brands in the United States. AMI's titles include Star, OK!, National Enquirer, Globe, Country Weekly, Soap Opera Digest, Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. AMI also manages 18 different digital sites including RadarOnline.com, OKmagazine.com, CountryWeekly.com, Shape.com, MensFitness.com, MuscleandFitness.com and FitPregnancy.com. AMI's magazines have a combined total circulation of 7.4 million and reach more than 61 million men and women each month. AMI's digital properties reach an average of 34 million unique visitors and 169 million page views monthly.

AMI also provides Publishing Services which includes Distribution Services, Inc. (DSI), the No. 1 in-store magazine sales and merchandising marketing company in the U.S. and Canada. DSI places and monitors AMI's publications and third-party publications to ensure proper displays in major retail chains and national and regional supermarket chains. DSI also provides marketing, merchandising and information gathering services to third parties including non-magazine clients. Publishing Services also provides print and digital advertising sales and strategic management direction in the following areas: manufacturing, subscription circulation, logistics, event marketing and full back office financial functions.

SOURCE American Media, Inc.

American Media, Inc.

CONTACT: Eric S. Klee, +1-917-256-5483

Web Site: http://www.countryweekly.com


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