Cosmopolitan Magazine Kicks Off "StarLaunch(TM)" -- the Search for Next Female Music Star -- Powered by YouTube

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - September 9, 2008) - Are you a "Fun, Fearless, Female" singer/songwriter looking to break through and get your music out to the masses? Do you want to open for Natasha Bedingfield at one of New York's premier music venues? If so, then Cosmopolitan magazine is looking for you.

On Tuesday, September 9, Cosmopolitan will kick off its first-ever StarLaunch™ national talent search on YouTube, sponsored by Nikon and Pantene. Female-fronted bands and solo artists will be able to upload a performance video of an original song to YouTube (www.youtube.com/cosmostarlaunch) for consideration. The deadline for submissions is October 6. Each video will be reviewed by a team of record label executives and producers who will make the first cut, narrowing the entries down to the top 10.

The 10 semifinalists will be revealed on October 21. Readers and music fans will then have a chance to vote on their favorite artist online at www.cosmopolitan.com/starlaunch and narrow the field from 10 to 3 finalists, who will compete in a live "battle of the bands" at Terminal 5 in New York City on December 5, emceed by MTV VJ Damien Fahey. The three acts will open the show, performing on the same stage as pop superstar Natasha Bedingfield and special guest Solange Knowles. The three semi-finalists will also receive a Nikon camera so that they can document their journey to NYC. A slideshow of their pictures will be available at Cosmopolitan.com following the concert.

On the evening of the concert, a panel of top music executives including Sylvia Rhone (President/EVP, Universal Motown), David Novik (SVP of A&R, Decca/Universal) and Mike Mangini (Grammy Award-winning producer and musician), along with the in-house audience and online community, will help select the winner, who will receive a package that will jump start their music career including:

--  $10,000 cash
--  A 3-track demo created with a hit-making record producer
--  Up to 10 performances at Cosmopolitan-sponsored events
--  One-year memberships to SESAC (a performing rights organization for
    music artists and publishers) and FanBridge (a premier fan list management
    service)
    

"At Cosmo, we are all about empowering women to achieve their dreams, both personal and professional," said Donna Kalajian Lagani, Senior Vice President and Publishing Director, Cosmopolitan. "The StarLaunch™ talent search will do just that. By leveraging our partnership with YouTube and the support of our sponsors Nikon and Pantene, we will be able to give a deserving female artist the opportunity to be discovered by America -- something no amount of money can buy."

For more information on StarLaunch™ and details on how to enter, visit www.cosmopolitan.com/starlaunch. Tickets for the StarLaunch™ concert on December 5th at New York City's Terminal 5 go on sale Friday, September 12 at noon. To purchase, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitan.com) is the best-selling young women's magazine in the U.S., a bible for fun, fearless females that reaches more than 18 million readers a month. Cosmopolitan delivers the latest news on men and love, fashion and beauty, women's health and self-improvement, and entertainment. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with Cosmopolitan mobile (m.cosmopolitan.com). In addition to its U.S. flagship, Cosmopolitan publishes 58 editions around the world. Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) and one of the world's largest publishers of monthly magazines, with nearly 200 editions around the world, including 18 U.S. titles and 20 magazines in the United Kingdom, published through its wholly owned subsidiary, The National Magazine Company Limited. Hearst reaches more adults than any other publisher of monthly magazines (75.6 million total adults, according to MRI, Spring 2008).

Contact Information: Contact: Marisa Ollins Cosmopolitan 212-649-2577 mollins@hearst.com Andrea Faville Cosmopolitan 212-649-2165 afaville@hearst.com