Spokesperson to Receive Role With Company and $50,000

NEW YORK, NY – May 17, 2012 – As we sit here wedged between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it’s pretty clear that America loves the holidays.  According to independent market research, more than $80 billion is spent annually on food during holidays.  That represents about 15% of total supermarket food sales in the U.S.*

There are more than 65 million fans of Taste of Home magazine, its iPad edition, website, books, and special interest publications.  They count on Taste of Home to be their go-to resource for the holidays.  For example, website traffic at TasteofHome.com increases by 25%-40% before every holiday.  Geared up with recipes and ideas, these women head right to retail to start their holiday food shopping.

Recognizing the enormity of the holidays to peoples’ personal lives and the U.S. economy, Taste of Home has begun a nationwide search on Facebook.com/TasteofHome to identify candidates for the position of Mrs. Holiday, a spokesperson role at the company, which includes a $50,000 payment. “Mrs. Holiday will be a new type of pageant queen,” said Taste of Home editor-in-chief Catherine Cassidy.  “She’s an advocate, an ambassador and an inspiration who cooks for her family to bring everyone around the table at the holidays.  She’s got memorable recipes combined with a celebration attitude.”

To audition for the role of Mrs. Holiday, women age 18 or older must visit Facebook.com/TasteofHome to enter a virtual pageant.  There they can submit a video entry of no more than two minutes to show/tell us how they bring the holidays to life and convince us why they should be Taste of Home’s Mrs. Holiday.  They also should submit a signature holiday recipe in 200 words or less. The full entry rules and instructions are provided at Facebook.com/TasteofHome.  All entries will receive a free chocolate chip cookie recipe as a thank you for auditioning.

Unlike the Miss America pageant, consumers will have a hand in picking Mrs. Holiday by voting for their favorite entrant at Facebook.com/TasteofHome starting on June 4 and ending on September 7.  Mrs. Holiday will be selected from among the top 100 vote getters by a panel of experts.

Once officially crowned, Mrs. Holiday will be available to conduct interviews, cooking segments, and blogging, as well as to make appearances across the country at retailers and some of the more than 300 Taste of Home cooking schools.

About Taste of Home
Taste of Home is America’s connection to the personal recipes of people who like to cook at home as a way to bring family and friends together, particularly at the holidays. Each year, thousands of people from across the United States and Canada submit more than 40,000 recipes, of which 3,000 are published. Every recipe that is published is carefully evaluated and selected by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, which ensures that it can be prepared with affordable, everyday ingredients. Taste of Home content is available in print; online at Tasteofhome.com; in books; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps and Kindle; and Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Obtain a subscription at www.TasteofHome.com or on your favorite digital download device.

About Reader’s Digest North America
Reader’s Digest North America comprises operations for Reader’s Digest Association in the United States and Canada.  It is at the core of the strategy to expand RDA owned and operated brands, including Master Brands Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, and Enthusiast Brands Birds & Blooms, Farm & Ranch Living, Country, Country Woman and Reminisce, across multiple media platforms to provide consumers content when they want it, where they want it, to expand its Master Brands geographically, and to increase partnership opportunities. Reader’s Digest North America reaches consumers through its various print and digital magazines, websites and social media outlets, books and home entertainment products. Further information can be found at www.rda.com.

##

* Based on IBISWORLD special report August 2010
Media Contact:

Gary Davis

Reader’s Digest North America

646-293-6206

Cell: 917-379-9351

Gary_davis@rd.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. & NEW YORK, May 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) —

– Only 26 percent of Americans eat 3-5 servings of vegetables a day
–Only 14 percent of Americans eat 3-5 servings of fruit a day
–Only 1 in 10 drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day
Seniors making different lifestyle choices when compared to the rest of U.S. population

Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health and well-being companies, and Reader’s Digest, one of America’s most recognized brands, today announced results of a nationwide survey that highlights an intriguing fact about health in America — despite our best intentions, Americans continue to make unhealthy choices.

According to the study, which looked at behaviors among different age groups, seniors were one group that ranked having good health as most important to them — more important than having a close-knit family or financial security. With a commitment to help people achieve lifelong well-being, Humana understands that while seniors’ healthy choices are important and critical to independent living and aging in place, Americans can’t wait until they turn 65 to make healthy choices. To effectively prevent chronic conditions, Americans of all ages must begin making healthier choices today.

Humana and Reader’s Digest surveyed 1,000 people nationwide about their health and well-being. Questions ranged from lifestyle tendencies — nutrition, hygiene, sleep and exercise — to feelings about happiness and the value of health today.

Americans know how to make healthy choices, but still do not make them

While it’s widely understood that vegetables and fruits have health benefits and that everyone should drink water, most people eat too few veggies and fruits and drink too little water. The Humana and Reader Digest’s study found that:

– Only 26 percent of Americans eat 3-5 servings of vegetables a day
– Only 14 percent of Americans eat 3-5 servings of fruit a day
– Only 1 in 10 drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day

Also, one third of Americans do not eat fruit as part of their overall diet, one in 10 Americans drink no water during the day, and one in 10 Americans have four or more meals from a fast food restaurant over the course of each week. Equally as concerning, Americans are sedentary for slightly more than 7 hours a day — more time than is typically spent sleeping.

“As a physician, I have an understanding that all patients don’t follow ‘doctor’s orders’ to get enough sleep, exercise and eat right,” said Philip Painter, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Humana’s Health Guidance Organization. “However, having this view of the unhealthy choices that so many Americans are making is alarming and makes it clear how focused we need to be about helping people take those small, meaningful steps, for example, ordering water instead of soda or picking up an apple as a snack.”

“These results highlight an important issue, primarily that while we understand the negative effects of certain health behaviors, we do little to make positive, impactful changes,” said Tom Liston, President of Humana’s Retail Segment, which includes health plans sold directly to individuals, such as Medicare plans. “Through this research we hope to better understand the state of health in America today and further Humana’s dream of helping people achieve lifelong well-being.”

Seniors value good health … and some habits reflect this outlook

The survey segmented demographic groups into sub-categories, allowing for a more comprehensive snapshot of different age groups. Similar to most Americans, many seniors are making questionable diet and fitness choices. Most seniors are still not managing to get the recommended 3 to 5 servings of both fruits and vegetables daily. In addition, seniors are drinking less water than Americans overall and few exercise regularly. In fact, 42 percent of seniors (compared to 29 percent of Americans overall) engage in no physical activity that raises their heart rate over the course of a week.

40 percent of seniors (people 65 and older) believe “good health” equates to being happy, while 46 percent of Americans overall define good health as being in better physical shape. The survey also found:

– 44 percent of seniors eat a full three meals per day compared to 36 percent of Americans overall.
– Seniors also sleep more, getting 7.3 hours of sleep a night compared to 7.0 hours for Americans overall.
– 87 percent of seniors are more likely than Americans overall (77 percent) to have gotten a general physical exam within the past year.

This contrast in what we should do and what we actually do demonstrates a need for new approaches to help motivate people across various age groups to make healthy choices based on what is important to them.

Other key findings of the survey include:

– Working moms are more likely (58 percent) to participate in regular daily physical activities (e.g. taking walks, using stairs, going to a gym) than working dads (37 percent).
– Four in five Americans say they would choose receiving $5,000 over losing 10 pounds.
– Nearly four of five seniors (79 percent) rate their health positively.

Information from this study will be published in upcoming issues of Reader’s Digest, starting with the May issue.

“We’re excited to partner with Humana on this study. The objective of this research is to inform people about the state of health in America, and in a simple and direct way, help people simplify and enrich their everyday lives by deciding to make healthier choices,” said Dan Lagani, President, Reader’s Digest North America. “In upcoming issues of Reader’s Digest, we will highlight the important results of this study along with suggestions on ways people can alter their health habits for the better.”

The study was conducted by third-party research vendor, Global Strategy Group, in December 2011. The margin of error on the overall sample is +/- 3.1 percent. The margin of error on subgroups is greater.

About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is a leading health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. By leveraging the strengths of its core businesses, Humana believes it can better explore opportunities for existing and emerging adjacencies in health care that can further enhance wellness opportunities for the millions of people across the nation with whom the company has relationships.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company’s web site at www.humana.com , including copies of:

– Annual reports to stockholders
– Securities and Exchange Commission filings
– Most recent investor conference presentations
– Quarterly earnings news releases
– Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
– Calendar of events (including upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
– Corporate Governance information

About Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest simplifies and enriches consumers’ lives by discovering and expertly selecting the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products in health, home, family, food, finance and humor. Recognized by 99% of American adults, Reader’s Digest is available in print; online at ReadersDigest.com; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Sony Reader and Zinio; books and home entertainment products; Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Obtain a subscription at www.ReadersDigest.com or on your favorite digital download device.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50267302&lang=en
SOURCE: Humana Inc.

Humana Corporate Communications
Jim Turner, 502-580-3221
jturner2@humana.com

or

Reader’s Digest North America
Gary Davis, 646-293-6206
gary_davis@rd.com

New position mirrors organizational steps that have led to success for Reader’s Digest brand in recent months

NEW YORK, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Mark Jannot has joined Reader’s Digest North America in the new position of Chief Content Officer for Reader’s Digest Milwaukee, effective May 21, Dan Lagani, President, Reader’s Digest North America, announced today.

Reporting to Lagani, Jannot will lead content development across all platforms for Taste of Home, The Family Handyman and the U.S. Enthusiast brands, which include Birds & Blooms, Country, Country Woman, Farm & Ranch Living, and Reminisce. He will ensure there is a unified creative voice for each of these brands across all platforms, and will drive editorial direction and strategy for each brand across branded magazines, books and digital products in the U.S.

“Mark Jannot has a reputation for editorial excellence. His experience in the digital and magazine spaces makes him an ideal candidate to speed the brand transformation underway with our Milwaukee businesses where we are focused on creating a great consumer experience for our Taste of Home, The Family Handyman and Enthusiast brands across media platforms,” said Lagani. 

Lagani said this new position mirrors the organizational changes successfully put in place for the Reader’s Digest brand as part of the company’s North American strategy.  That strategy has fueled Reader’s Digest rapid growth in paid digital edition sales making it the top selling magazine sold on the Kindle, and among the most popular on the Kindle Fire, Nook and the iPad.  Lagani said he expects sales of Reader’s Digest digital editions to exceed sales at newsstands in 2012.

Jannot joins Reader’s Digest North America from the Bonnier Technology Group, where he served as Editorial Director for well known publications Popular Science, Popular Photography, American Photo, and Sound & Vision, and their websites. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science and PopSci.com.  Jannot led the editorial team at Popular Science that collaborated in the development of Mag+, the tablet publishing platform that was launched with the release of Popular Science+, one of the only native magazine apps available at the April 2010 debut of the iPad.

“This is an extraordinary group of brands, with deep ties to their communities of readers and huge potential for growth,” Jannot said. “It’s an irresistible opportunity to build the future of cross-platform publishing.”

About Reader’s Digest North America
Reader’s Digest North America comprises operations for Reader’s Digest Association in the United States and Canada.  It is at the core of the strategy to expand RDA owned and operated brands, including Master Brands Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, and Enthusiast Brands Birds & Blooms, Farm & Ranch Living, Country, Country Woman and Reminisce, across multiple media platforms to provide consumers content when they want it, where they want it, to expand its Master Brands geographically, and to increase partnership opportunities. Reader’s Digest North America reaches consumers through its various print and digital magazines, websites and social media outlets, books and home entertainment products.

Media Contact:

Gary Davis
Reader’s Digest North America
646-293-6206
Cell: 917-379-9351
Gary_davis@rd.com

“Susan is a highly respected Human Resource professional, with a background virtually tailored to our needs. We are very pleased to have her on board the RDA team,” said President and CEO Bob Guth. “Her deep experience in the global business environment as well as her expertise in refocusing resources will be critical as we concentrate on our core businesses and simplify and strengthen our organization.”

Cummiskey joins RDA from her practice as a leadership coach and human resource consultant, which she began in 2011. Prior to starting her own firm, Cummiskey was Senior Vice President, Human Resources, for Bowne & Co, Inc. (now part of RR Donnelly & Sons). Her strategic accomplishments at Bowne included evolving the corporate structure from a holding company with 13 distinct business units to a fully integrated operating company with three major business segments.

Prior to Bowne & Co., she held human resources leadership positions at Degussa Corporation, Sprague Technologies, Inc., and Combustion Engineering Inc.

Cummiskey is Treasurer for The Robert Bowne Foundation whose programs offer literacy education in the out-of-school hours to the children and youth of New York City who live in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. She is Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Directors for Scenarios USA, and is an active mentor with Women Unlimited. She provides pro-bono coaching to several not-for-profit organizations.

Cummiskey is a graduate of Wheaton College and the Georgetown University Leadership Coaching program. She lives in Connecticut and New York City.

RDA is a global media and direct marketing company that educates, entertains and connects more than 145 million consumers around the world with products and services from trusted brands. With offices in 44 countries, the Company reaches customers in 78 countries, publishes 75 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader’s Digest, the world’s largest-circulation magazine, operates 62 branded websites and sells nearly 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Further information about the Company can be found at www.rda.com.

Media Contact: Russell Weigandt, 646-747-7163

Towns to Receive Funding and Promotional Support to Better Their Communities

NEW YORK, Mar. 2, 2012 – Reader’s Digest today provided the initial results from its 2012 We Hear You America campaign, naming the 18 winning communities who are slated to receive funding and promotional support for community projects and civic initiatives to better their communities.

Reader’s Digest officials said that initial results were considered unofficial until the final vote tallies cast prior to midnight March 1, 2012, could be reviewed and verified, which it expected would take a week to complete.

The announcement culminated the more than four-month We Hear You America 2012 campaign, the popular national, grassroots initiative that serves as a catalyst to empower Americans to help their local communities by casting votes for their hometowns. More than 31.9 million votes were cast by residents from cities, towns and villages representing all 50 states.

Since its inception in 2010, We Hear You America has touched half of the cities, towns, and villages in the United States. Reader’s Digest has provided more than $20 million in financial and promotional support, as well as assistance to community projects and civic initiatives in 128 communities.

Subject to verification, the winning towns and funding awards for the 2012 campaign are as follows:
1. Lake City, IA – $50,000 (population 1,578)
2. Higginsville, MO – $25,000 (population 4,498)
3. Minot, ND – $25,000 (population 40,888)
4. El Paso, IL – $10,000 (population 2,870)
5. Lake Andes, SD – $10,000 (population 1,805)
6. Weaubleau, MO – $10,000 (population 560)
7. Beavertown, PA – $10,000 (population 1,792)
8. Rossville, KS – $10,000 (population 1,151)
9. Joplin, MO – $5,000 (population 49,024)
10. Ericson, NE – $5,000 (population 104)
11. Appleton City, MO – $5,000 (population 2,202)
12. Chenoa, IL – $5,000 (population 1,785)
13. Red Boiling Springs, TN – $5,000 (population 1,028)
14. Taylorville, IL – $5,000 (population 11,264)
15. Frisco, TX – $5,000 (population 116,989)
16. Collingswood, NJ – $5,000 (population 13,926)
17. Richville, NY – $5,000 (population 323)
18. Needles, CA – $5,000 (population 4,844)

Funding will be provided to local governments, which will then determine how the funds will be used with the input of local residents.

“Reader’s Digest offers congratulations to all of the We Hear You America winners, and to all participating communities on their extraordinary efforts. With more than 31.9 million votes cast from cities, towns and villages representing all 50 states, the amount of community spirit we’ve seen throughout the We Hear You America campaign has been remarkable,” said Dan Lagani, president of Reader’s Digest North America. “The last few years have been very difficult for families and towns alike. However, even in these challenging times, Americans still rally their communities to bring about positive change. It’s a testament to the resilience of the American spirit.”

During the course of the campaign, local residents from across the country have expressed their hometown pride and identified worthwhile community initiatives, from repairing towns that had suffered natural disasters, to renovating historically significant buildings, to creating parks and recreation centers for families, and much more, all of which were highlighted on ReadersDigest.com/America. A common theme of the winning towns was their ability to rally local citizens to vote. There were holiday vote-a-thons at local libraries and voting parties at local restaurants. Local media also weighed in, providing welcome coverage highlighting and promoting community efforts to get out the vote. Reader’s Digest each week identified Mayors and community leaders who were working to make a difference for their towns.

Reader’s Digest today said it will continue its efforts to highlight what makes American communities great with a new, second phase of the We hear You America campaign, We Hear You America: America’s Most Interesting Town. To learn more, go to ReadersDigest.com/America.

We Hear You America Foundation
As Reader’s Digest undertakes its search for America’s Most Interesting Town, it will continue We Hear You America’s efforts to support much needed community projects through the Reader’s Digest We Hear You America Foundation. The goal of the foundation, which is in the process of receiving its 501(c)3 status, is to help fund, through the generosity of Americans, community projects that will help local cities, towns, and villages enrich their quality of life. Reader’s Digest intends to contribute financially to the foundation and will cover administrative and fundraising costs.

To help jump-start contributions, Reader’s Digest is offering anyone who contributes $10 via ReadersDigest.com/America a one-year subscription to Reader’s Digest magazine as a bonus. More information about the Reader’s Digest We Hear You America Foundation can be found at ReadersDigest.com.

About Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest simplifies and enriches consumers’ lives by discovering and expertly selecting the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products in health, home, family, food, finance and humor. Recognized by 99% of American adults, Reader’s Digest is available in print; online at ReadersDigest.com; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Sony Reader and Zinio; books and home entertainment products; Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.

Media Contacts:

Gary Davis
Reader’s Digest North America
646-293-6206
Cell: 917-379-9351
Gary_davis@rd.com

Annie Keller
G.S. Schwartz & Co. Inc.
(212) 725-4500 ext. 326
Cell: 585-721-0189
akeller@schwartz.com

Public Can also Vote Each Week to Determine the Most Interesting Towns in America by Popular Vote

March 2, 2012 – Reader’s Digest today said it will continue its efforts to highlight what makes American communities great with a new, second phase of the We Hear You America campaign, We Hear You America: America’s Most Interesting Town.

This new phase builds upon the success and excitement generated so far by the We Hear You America 2012 campaign, the grassroots initiative that serves as a catalyst to empower Americans to help their local communities improve their quality of life with funds and promotional support for needed community projects. Since its inception in 2010, We Hear You America has touched half of the cities, towns, and villages in the United States. Reader’s Digest has provided more than $20 million in financial and promotional support, as well as assistance to community projects and civic initiatives in 128 communities.

Reader’s Digest now wants to hear from people, in 150 words or less, what makes their town interesting. One story about an American town will be selected by the editors of Reader’s Digest, and that town will appear on the cover of a future Reader’s Digest edition as We Hear You America: America’s Most Interesting Town. The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

“The amount of pride and community spirit we observed from all over the country throughout the 2012 We Hear You America campaign was overwhelming,” said Dan Lagani, President, Reader’s Digest North America. “It is a natural extension for Reader’s Digest to now celebrate what truly makes these communities across our country so wonderful and unique by asking people to tell us what makes their town the most interesting in America. The promotional value to these towns from being highlighted by Reader’s Digest will certainly help attract even more support for a range of worthwhile community and economic initiatives.”

In addition to the Reader’s Digest editorial staff choosing America’s Most Interesting Town, the editorial staff will select 10 other stories to be highlighted based on specific categories: America’s Most Interesting Town Parade, Event, Nickname, Scenic View, Family, Legend, Trivia, Funny Story, Character and Landmark. These winners will receive $1,000 and their town will be mentioned inside of a future print and digital edition of Reader’s Digest.

People are invited to submit their stories and photos between March 2 – May 31, 2012 at ReadersDigest.com/America. Keep talking… we hear you, America!

“Reader’s Digest has a great tradition of sharing the fascinating stories about the unique people and places across our great United States,” says Liz Vaccariello, Reader’s Digest chief content officer and editor-in-chief. “Now we want to hear directly from our readers what they think makes their hometowns the most interesting in America and share those stories with the rest of the country.”

In the spirit of We Hear You America and the 2012 election, Reader’s Digest also invites the public to cast votes online each week for the town they think is most interesting in America. The town that receives the most votes that week will be declared We Hear You America: America’s Most Interesting Town by Popular Vote. These towns also will be mentioned in upcoming print and digital issues of the magazine.

How to participate
It’s easy to submit a story or to vote for any town. Log on to ReadersDigest.com/America and enter the zip code or name of a city, town or village to get started. People may enter as many stories or vote as many times as they like. Stories must be 150 words or fewer and describe what makes their town interesting. Reader’s Digest editors will select the essay they believe best reflects America’s Most Interesting Town. Editorial staff will select 10 other essay winners based on the topics America’s Most Interesting Town Parade, Event, Nickname, Scenic View, Family, Legend, Trivia, Funny Story, Character and Landmark. Participants must be age 13 and older to vote for a town.

We Hear You America Foundation
As Reader’s Digest undertakes its search for America’s Most Interesting Town, it will continue We Hear You America’s efforts to support much needed community projects through the Reader’s Digest We Hear You America Foundation. The goal of the foundation, which is in the process of receiving its 501(c)3 status, is to fund, through the generosity of Americans, community projects on an ongoing basis that will help local cities, towns, and villages enrich their quality of life. There will be four grants issued over the course of 2012. Reader’s Digest intends to contribute financially to the foundation and will cover administrative and fundraising costs.

To help jump-start contributions, Reader’s Digest is offering anyone who contributes $10 via ReadersDigest.com/America a one-year subscription to Reader’s Digest magazine as a bonus. More information about the Reader’s Digest We Hear You America Foundation can be found at ReadersDigest.com.

About Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest simplifies and enriches consumers’ lives by discovering and expertly selecting the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products in health, home, family, food, finance and humor. Recognized by 99% of American adults, Reader’s Digest is available in print; online at ReadersDigest.com; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Sony Reader and Zinio; books and home entertainment products; Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.

Media Contacts:

Gary Davis
Reader’s Digest North America
646-293-6206
gary_davis@rd.com

Annie Keller
G.S. Schwartz & Co. Inc.
(212) 725-4500 ext. 326
akeller@schwartz.com

NEW YORK, N.Y., March 1, 2012 – Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (“RDA”) the global multi-brand and multi-platform media and direct marketing company, announced today that it had closed on its previously announced sale of the Allrecipes.com business to Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP).

Net cash proceeds from the sale, after estimated taxes and transaction fees, of approximately $150 million will be used primarily to repay debt and related fees. 

“The sale of Allrecipes accomplishes two important strategic objectives for Reader’s Digest Association – the deleveraging of our balance sheet and the continued transformation of the Company as we refocus our resources on our core media and direct marketing businesses in our North America and International divisions,” said Robert Guth, Reader’s Digest Association president and CEO. “We are grateful to the Allrecipes employees for their contributions to our Company and wish them well in their new home.“ 

About The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

RDA is a global media and direct marketing company that educates, entertains and connects more than 145 million consumers around the world with products and services from trusted brands.  With offices in 44 countries, the Company reaches customers in 78 countries, publishes 75 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader’s Digest, the world’s largest-circulation magazine, operates 62 branded websites and sells nearly 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year.  Further information about the Company can be found at www.rda.com.

For further information contact:

New York, Feb. 27, 2012 – Continuing its focus on expanding its presence in digital channels, Reader’s Digest North America has launched its first iPad apps for popular master brands, Taste of Home, The Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest in Canada. Now available for download, the most recent iPad apps follow the successful launch of the Reader’s Digest app in 2011.

“2011 was a year of continuous innovation and growth for Reader’s Digest North America. We continue to expand our footprint with 11 brands in North America on four platforms, including these new iPad editions for Taste of Home, The Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest in Canada,” said Dan Lagani, President, Reader’s Digest North America. “Our goal in 2012 is to see digital editions for some of our brands exceed newsstand sales by the end of the year. This is an important step in our efforts to provide consumers the content they want, when they want it, where they want it.”

Since joining Reader’s Digest, Lagani and his team have been aggressively expanding Reader’s Digest digital footprint. His team has forged significant gains with digital editions for tablets, with Reader’s Digest in 2011 being the most popular U.S. magazine on Amazon’s Kindle and among the most popular content plays on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, and Apple’s iPad. Lagani anticipates that Reader’s Digest will sell more digital editions in 2012 than print editions on traditional newsstands. Lagani has said what has been accomplished with Reader’s Digest in 2011 would be the template for master brands Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, with the new iPad apps a significant start to delivering on that commitment in 2012.

The Taste of Home iPad App:
Taste of Home is a go to resource for consumers for the holidays and any time of year, and the new iPad app allows for an unparalleled exchange of tried-and-tested family recipes to help with holiday entertaining. This is the essential app for any home cook, complete with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, delicious food photography, and reliable kitchen tips. Another feature allows favorite recipes to be instantly shared with friends and family across Facebook, Twitter and email. Users can pose questions and give feedback directly to the Taste of Home editors, as well as enter Taste of Home contests, all from within the app.

The Taste of Home app is free to download from iTunes. A full-year digital subscription is $14.99 via the app. Individual bimonthly issues, starting with the February/March 2012 issue, can be purchased for $3.99. Current subscribers to the Taste of Home print edition will receive complimentary access to the iPad editions for six months by downloading the app and selecting “Current Magazine Subscriber.”

The Family Handyman iPad App:
The pages of The Family Handyman come to life on the iPad with interactive, step-by-step videos on DIY home improvement projects, how-to techniques and essential DIY tips from the pros. The Family Handyman’s expert editors are featured in instructional videos. Glossy, photo slide shows illustrate the step-by-step DIY projects.

Download The Family Handyman app for free from iTunes. A full year digital subscription is $14.99 via the app. Individual issues, starting with the February 2012 issue, can be purchased for $3.99. Current subscribers to the The Family Handyman print edition will receive complimentary access to the iPad editions for six months by downloading the App and selecting “Current Magazine Subscriber.”

The Reader’s Digest App for Canada:
Canada’s most-trusted and most-read magazine now offers a new, dynamic way in which to enjoy its monthly content with the launch of the Reader’s Digest App for iPad. Reader’s Digest’s iPad edition contains rich-media content and exclusive material not available in the print edition. The Reader’s Digest iPad app will also enable readers to share their favorite articles via email, Facebook and Twitter.

As part of a limited-time special offer, download the Reader’s Digest Canada app for free and enjoy the March issue at no cost. All future downloadable issues can then be purchased as either a one-time download for $3.99, a recurring monthly subscription of $1.99 or $19.99 for a one-year subscription.

About The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
Reader’s Digest Association is a global media and direct marketing company that educates, entertains and connects more than 145 million consumers around the world with products and services from trusted brands. With offices in 44 countries, the company reaches customers in 79 countries, publishes 86 magazines, including 50 editions of Reader’s Digest, the world’s largest-circulation magazine, operates 82 branded websites and sells nearly 40 million books, music and video products across the world each year. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.

About Reader’s Digest North America
Reader’s Digest North America comprises operations for Reader’s Digest Association in the United States and Canada. It is at the core of the strategy to expand its owned and operated brands, including Master Brands Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and The Family Handyman, and its Enthusiast Brands Birds and Blooms, Farm and Ranch Living, Country, Country Woman and Reminisce, Best Health and Our Canada across multiple media platforms to provide consumers content when they want it, where they want it, to expand its Master Brands geographically, and to increase partnership opportunities. Reader’s Digest North America reaches consumers through its various print and digital magazines, websites and social media outlets, books and home entertainment products. Further information about the company can be found at www.rda.com.

Media Contacts:

Veronica Logue
Reader’s Digest North America
646.293.6307
veronica.logue@rd.com

Gary Davis
Reader’s Digest North America
646.293.6206
gary.davis@rd.com