Essence Communications to Partner with CNN, HLN and CNN.com For Weekly News Segments

Essence Communications to Partner with CNN, HLN and CNN.com For Weekly News
Segments

What Matters Debuted On CNN and HLN on May 8

NEW YORK, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN, HLN, CNN.com and Essence Communications,
Inc., today announced a partnership to develop What Matters, a series of
weekly news segments focused on issues of importance to the African-American
community. As an extension of the regular news items and features in ESSENCE
magazine, as well as the ongoing multicultural programming on CNN, the on-air
and online segments will be hosted on CNN by Tony Harris and Don Lemon with
contributions from Roland Martin, Fredricka Whitfield and T.J. Holmes. The
segments will be hosted on HLN by anchor Richelle Carey.

The recurring segment debuted on CNN on Friday, May 8, in the 12 p.m. hour and
will feature topics ranging from 401(k) strategies to elder-care issues to pop
culture. On HLN, the segment will be seen during the 6 p.m. hour on the
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday editions of "Prime News." Inspired by the monthly
"Our News" section of ESSENCE magazine, content for the segments will be
developed collaboratively.

Online users also can view the "What Matters" segments on-demand at CNN.com
and on Mondays via CNN.com Live, the Internet's only live multi-stream video
news service. This online content will be available beginning May 15. In
addition, Essence.com will offer users related articles, additional
commentary, blog discussions and the opportunity to view the "What Matters"
segments.

"ESSENCE is proud to partner with CNN, HLN and CNN.com to launch What Matters
as a platform to inform, educate and define the cultural discussion," said
Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief, ESSENCE. "Last year's collaboration on
the ESSENCE/CNN co-production CNN & Essence: Reclaiming the Dream laid the
groundwork for What Matters -- a project that will combine our reach and
expertise to further the development of quality programming for
African-Americans."

"Our partnership with ESSENCE has been a very productive one, and What Matters
is an important next step in those collaborative efforts," commented Jon
Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "The power of our two brands promises to continue
to enhance the dialogue about issues important to our collective audiences."

What Matters is sponsored by McDonald's, who is also the presenting sponsor of
CNN's Black in America 2, the sequel series to 2008's groundbreaking
initiative. Reported by CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien,
Black in America 2 reveals the stories of community leaders and innovative
pioneers who are creating solutions to challenges within African-American
communities -- closing achievement gaps in education, reducing health
disparities, and launching business enterprises. The two primetime
documentaries for the series premiere on Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday,
July 23. The 2009 co-production with Essence Communications, CNN &Essence:
Reclaiming the Dream2, will be filmed on July 4 at the Essence Music Festival
in New Orleans.

About CNN Worldwide
CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner
Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach
extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private
place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world;
CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States;
CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and
strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital
media.

About HLN
HLN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is
designed especially for viewers who want relevant and comprehensive news and
personality-driven programming in a way that suits the urgency of their
schedules. Via its "news and views" format, the network updates viewers
constantly, 24 hours each day, with complete and concise national newscasts
throughout the day and a compelling slate of legal, entertainment and talk
programs during at night, utilizing the best resources of CNN Worldwide.

About Essence Communications, Inc.
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications
company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence
in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black
Women Come First". The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is
the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand
extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World
Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I & II) and Smart Beauty I, II &
III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in
digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 39 years, ESSENCE magazine,
which has a readership of 8.1 million, has been the leading source of
cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's
lives.

Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.

SOURCE Essence Communications, Inc.

Dana Baxter of Essence Communications, +1-212-522-1634, dbaxter@essence.com;
or Janine Iamunno of CNN, +1-212-275-7960, janine.iamunno@turner.com