In partnership with new owner Meredith, People Magazine plans to launch an entertainment news strip into access time slots on Meredith’s 17 owned stations in fall 2020, the company said Thursday.
The new series — which will offer entertainment news, exclusive interviews, features, beauty, crime and more — will be produced by Meredith’s in-house production company Four M Studios. Should the show perform, the group will try to take it to non-Meredith-owned groups.
“This will be another first for People,” said Bruce Gersh, president of People, Entertainment Weekly and Four M Studios, in a statement. “People is a cultural force, and this is a natural extension of one of the most trusted brands in media. The Meredith Local Media Group has been an incredible partner and we are thrilled to be able to bring premium programming to local audiences and People consumers around the country.”
People already produces a 30-minute weekend show, People Now Weekend, that airs on Meredith-owned stations in 12 markets.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the success that People Now Weekend has had on Meredith’s local television stations,” said Patrick McCreery, president, Meredith Local Media Group. “Since we launched People Now Weekend in our 12 markets in June, we have seen unparalleled success. It’s clear our audiences want entertainment and celebrity news, and we are excited that we can offer the programming they want, and it’s produced by the trusted People brand.”
Meredith's Local Media Group includes 17 television stations reaching 11 percent of U.S. households, with seven stations in the nation's Top 25 and 13 in Top 50 markets including Atlanta, Phoenix, St. Louis, Nashville and Portland, Ore.
Four M Studios launched in 2016 and was formerly known as Time Inc. Productions. Des Moines, Iowa-based Meredith acquired Time Inc. last February. The company has since sold Time and Fortune and is reported to be shopping Sports Illustrated.
Deadline first reported this story.
