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ABOUT.COM EXPANDS ITS CONTENT WITH CELEBRITY GUEST AUTHORS
Faith Hill, Marlee Matlin, Wolfgang Puck and Nate Robinson Are the First Contributors
NEW YORK, June 16, 2009 - About.com, a recent winner in this year's Webby People's Voice Awards and one of the 15 most-visited Web sites in the United States, announced today it has expanded its content offerings by adding celebrity guest authors to the site. Among the first well-known personalities to contribute are the country music star Faith Hill, the New York Knicks' point guard Nate Robinson and the Oscar-winning actress and author Marlee Matlin. The renowned chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck will also contribute to the site later this month.
"We are thrilled to welcome these talented celebrities, each a superstar in his or her field, to About.com's growing roster of quality content providers," said Cella Irvine, president and C.E.O., The About Group. "Their expertise and insights will greatly enhance the user experience and deepen our site's rich offerings."
The celebrity authors' contributions will include features like videos, interviews, original articles, advice and recipes. Recent contributions include Ms. Matlin, who shared her experience as a deaf parent of hearing children and also wrote an article on growing up deaf for About.com's Deafness Web site; Ms. Hill on her favorite holiday traditions for About.com's Country Music Guide; and an interview with Mr. Robinson on the Basketball Web site on how to succeed in the NBA, irrespective of your size.
Mr. Puck will be featured on About.com's American Food Web site, where he will discuss his new frozen pizza line and share some of his signature recipes.
About.com is currently in discussions with other celebrities and plans to feature them on a bi-monthly basis, adding to the more than 70,000 topics and more than 2 million pieces of original content. About.com features more than 780 expert Guides who cover nearly every topic of interest with new ones added regularly.
About The About Group
The About Group comprises the Web sites About.com, ConsumerSearch.com, UCompareHealthCare.com and Caloriecount.about.com. About.com is one of the Web's leading producers of original content. The site's expert Guides provide users with accurate and unbiased information to help them live happier, healthier and more successful lives. ConsumerSearch.com analyzes expert and user-generated consumer product reviews and recommends the best products to purchase based on their findings. UCompareHealthCare.com provides dynamic interactive tools that enable users to measure the quality of healthcare services. Caloriecount.about.com offers weight management tools, social support and nutritional information to help users achieve their diet goals.
The About Group is part of The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
Contact:
Erica McDonald, 212-204-1724, E-mail: emcdonald@about.com