American Media, Inc., Announces Editorial Appointments at Shape En Espanol.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2003

Sue Yein Butcher, Vice-President/Managing Director of American Media's Latino Magazine Group, announced today the following appointments to the editorial staff of Shape En Espanol:

-- Donna Hernandez was named Editor-In-Chief. Ms.

Hernandez had previously been Chief of Reporters for

People En Espanol.

-- Manny Cartagena was named Art Director. Mr. Cartagena

had previously been the Assistant Art Director at Elle

Magazine.

-- Mercedes Vizcaino was named Photo Editor of both Shape

En Espanol and Mira!. Ms. Vizcaino had previously

been Entertainment Editor at Sipa Press.

-- Julia Heckler was named Fashion Director. Ms. Heckler

was previously Fashion Director at Grace Magazine.

Shape En Espanol is a brand extension of AMI's best selling women's magazine, Shape. It will launch as a monthly with a 128-page editorial package, and a cover price of $2.95. The first issue, with an October cover date, will go on sale September 16 and Latino superstar Thalia will grace the cover and be featured in an exclusive interview.

Commenting on her new editorial team, Ms. Butcher said, "Besides the award winning editorial content taken from the pages of Shape Magazine, Shape En Espanol will feature original content specifically targeted to today's young Latino women. This is why it was critical that we build a Spanish language editorial staff the equal of any in the Hispanic market.

"We were very fortunate to find Donna, Manny, Mercedes and Julia," Ms. Butcher said.

Shape En Espanol will launch with a 300,000-copy newsstand distribution using the retail network of supermarkets, mass merchandisers and bodegas that AMI had previously built for its Latino celebrity magazine, Mira!.

"Shape En Espanol is one of the cornerstones of the AMI Latino Magazine Group," David J. Pecker, American Media's Chairman, said. "Donna's team, working with Bonnie Fuller, AMI's Chief Editorial Director, and Barbara Harris, Editorial Director of Shape, will give us content that delivers the perfect balance between cultures."

American Media, Inc. is one of the largest media companies in the U.S. The company publishes six of the 14 best selling weekly magazines, including the #2 and #4 titles, The National Enquirer and Star. AMI recently acquired Weider Publications, the leading publisher of health and fitness magazines, including Shape, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Flex, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. The company also publishes the best selling country music magazine, Country Weekly; the Latino entertainment magazine, Mira!; two automotive magazines, AMI's Auto World and NOPI Street Performance Compact; and more than 200 Mini-Mags and Digests. AMI recently launched its own book division with 10 titles released to date. In addition to print properties, AMI owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country's #1 in-store magazine merchandising company.