New York, NY - May 27, 2004
Axel Ganz, President of Gruner + Jahr´s International Magazine Division announced the appointment of J. Russell Denson, as President and CEO of Gruner + Jahr USA. Denson was most recently president and CEO of the Reiman Media Group, a subsidiary of The Reader´s Digest Association. Denson, age 53, will start on June 14, and report directly to Ganz.

"Russell is a smart and savvy media executive with extensive knowledge across a wide range of business experiences," says Ganz. "He clearly brings the necessary and relevant market intelligence. In addition, given the wide variety of senior executive positions he has held, in both public and private company environments, he brings G+J USA the ideal combination of general management skills along with great energy and fresh ideas. We are delighted to have him join us and lead the company."

States Denson, "This is a great opportunity for me. I´m particularly impressed by the commitment of G+J International to the US market -- not just to maintaining its presence, but also to growing its stable of magazines. Of course, a building must have a solid foundation before adding more stories. Over the last several months a number of changes have been put into place that are setting the company on the right track -- working together, we will build on this positive momentum."

Prior to running the Reiman Media Group, Denson was President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Weider Publications and was responsible for the strategic direction and management of the company with titles including Muscle and Fitness, Men´s Fitness, Shape, Fit Pregnancy and Natural Health. Before that, he was Chairman and Director of ICELEBRATE.com, a privately held business to consumer e-commerce company addressing the seasonal home décor market. Denson was the original Chairman of the Board for the company that published Health and Hippocrates magazines and the Edell Health Letter, which were sold to Time Warner. Earlier on, he held the position of Executive Vice President at HEI Corporation, a public, diversified health-care and publishing company. Additionally at HEI, he was president of HEI Publishing, publisher of Medical World News, which was sold to Miller Freeman Publishing.

Denson, who rides a Harley Softail Duece and restored a Triumph TR6, is a recent former Board member of the Magazine Publishers of America, and holds a B.B.A. from the University of Houston.

As one of the top-ranked magazine publishers in America, reaching one of the largest readerships in the U.S., Gruner + Jahr USA publishes Child, Family Circle, Fast Company, Fitness, Inc., Parents and YM. Gruner + Jahr USA is 25.1% owned by the Jahr Group and 74.9% owned by Bertelsmann AG, the largest privately held and the fifth largest media company overall in the world with yearly revenues at $17.86 billion.