Meredith Partners On Syndicated Magazine

Meredith Corp. will now be the principal supplier of content to the syndicated entertainment-news show OK!TV under an agreement announced Tuesday.

The agreement between Meredith and the show’s producer, Unconventional Studios, includes changing the show’s name from OK!TV to Celebrity Page starting March 28, Meredith said.

The daily strip — distributed by Trifecta Entertainment, which continues in that role — currently airs on 150 stations representing 80% of the U.S., although only two of the stations belong to Meredith (although other Meredith stations could pick up the show for next fall, according to sources). The show is also seen on cable, on Reelz.

Under the agreement, Meredith will provide “lifestyle content” to the newly reconstituted show from some of its magazine brands, including Better Homes & Gardens, Shape, Parents, Martha Stewart Living and Allrecipes. Segments derived from Meredith’s publishing properties in cooking, home décor, beauty, health and fitness, and entertainment will become part of the new Celebrity Page and will be showcased on Meredith digital platforms as well, the company said. 

In its announcement, Meredith positioned the deal as a strategic move that aims to exploit the reach of the company’s magazine brands among millennial women. Specifically, Meredith’s announcement described the deal as “a strategic partnership with Unconventional Studios to create and distribute entertainment and lifestyle video content that resonates with the millennial audience.”

“Millennial women are our fastest growing audience segment, and we want to ensure that we continue to produce content that resonates with them,” said Marc Rothschild, SVP, Meredith Digital. “This partnership will provide our editors with daily access to compelling lifestyle and entertainment content, and provide our brand partners with additional opportunities to reach our desired audiences through digital video, experiential and branded content experiences.”

The production deal between Meredith and Unconventional represents a switch in publishing company partners for the studio. OK!TV — which premiered in September 2013 — has been a co-production of Unconventional Studios and American Media, the publisher of OK! Magazine, on which the TV show was originally based. With Meredith coming in to replace American Media as the show’s primary content supplier, the show had to change the OK! name.