Meredith Corporation cuts 200 employees; merges Cooking Light with EatingWell

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Sep 13, 2018

Media company Meredith Corporation has announced that it will merge Cooking Light magazine with EatingWell, cutting 200 employees in the process. It is also outsourcing back-office business to a third party. 

This change follows Meredith's decision to cut over 1,000 jobs this March, when the media company was also looking to sell its newly purchased Time Inc. titles Fortune, Money, Sports Illustrated and Time magazine.

The online platforms for both magazines, EatingWell.com and CookingLight.com, will continue to operate as separate destinations, and branded businesses for each title will continue to operate under their current names. 

"We believe an enhanced EatingWell best positions Meredith for continuing success and will drive sustainable growth," said Carey Witmer, EVP and group publisher of the Meredith Food Group, in a release.

Meredith held approximately 7,500 full-time workers and 415 part-time employees at the end of this June. 

The new EatingWell will launch with its 2019 January/February issue, and will be published 10 times annually. Meredith also plans to launch a newsstand-only Cooking Light special interest publication that will be published six times per year.

The circulation rate for the new conglomerate title will total 1.775 million, up from EatingWell's current rate base of 1 million.

Other publications owned by Meredith include Travel + Leisure, InStyle, and Food & Wine.