UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the transition period from ____________ to ____________

Commission File Number 001-10784

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1000 American Media Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33464

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(561) 997-7733

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part III (Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14) of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for its 20152016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders if filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the registrant's fiscal year covered by this report or, alternatively, by amendment to this Form 10-K under cover of Form 10-K/A no later than the end of such 120 day period.

AMERICAN MEDIA, INC.

 

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Our fiscal year ended on March 31, 20152016 and is referred to herein as fiscal 2015.2016. References to our fiscal year (e.g. "fiscal 2015"2016") refer to our fiscal year ended March 31st of the applicable year.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Such factors include, but are not limited to, those items described in "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of this Annual Report and those discussed in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Item 7, as well as other factors.

We have tried, where possible, to identify such statements by using words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "may," "anticipates," "will," "likely," "project," "plans," "should," "could," "potential" or "continue" and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Any forward-looking statement is and will be based upon our then current expectations, estimates and assumptions regarding future events and is applicable only as of the dates of such statement. We may also make written and oral forward-looking statements in the reports we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date of this Annual Report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

INDUSTRY DATA AND CIRCULATION INFORMATION

This Annual Report includes publishing industry data, rankings, circulation information, Internet user data, readership information and other industry and market information that we obtained from various third-party sources, internal company sources and public filings. Third-party sources include, but are not limited to, the Alliance for Audited Media ("AAM"), comScore Media Metrix ("comScore"), Publishers Information Bureau as provided by Kantar Media ("PIB"), GfK Mediamark Research & Intelligence ("MRI"), Google Analytics, BPA Circulation Statements GfK Mediamark Research & Intelligence and Statement of Ownership figures filed with the U.S. Postal Service. Although

While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any industry data presented in this Annual Report and believe such data to be accurate, we have not independently verified any data obtained from third-party sources and cannot assure you of the accuracy or completeness of such data. Such data contained in these industry publications and reports, we believe based on our industry experience that this data is reliable. Our estimates, in particular as they relate to our general expectations concerning the publishing industry,may involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”

Unless otherwise indicated,stated herein, all average circulation information for our publications is a per issue average of actual single copy circulation and subscription copies for fiscal 2015.2016. All references to "circulation" are to single copy newsstand sales and paid subscription circulation, unless otherwise specified. References to “verified non-paid subscriptions” are to non-paid subscription copies designated by publishers for readership in public places or intended for individual use by recipients who are likely to have a strong affinity for the content of the publication.

PART I

OVERVIEW

American Media, Inc. together with its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company", "AMI", "we", "our" or "us") is one of the largest publishers of celebrity and health and active lifestyle magazines in the United States, with a diversified portfolio of 10 publications that have a combined monthly print and digital audience of more than 4039 million readers and monthly on-line audience of approximately 49 million readers.

Total circulation of our remaining print publications with a frequency of six or more times per year, were approximately 3.1 million copies per issue during fiscal 2016 and 3.2 million and 3.5 million copies per issue during fiscal 2015 and 3.5 million copies per issue during fiscal 2014, and 2013.respectively. Our celebrity titles together are number one in market share in newsstand circulation in the celebrity category and, on-line, are the fastest growing brands in the category. Our men's titles have the highest market share of national magazine advertising pages in their competitive set in the United States.

We believe our leadership position in these segments provides us with strong competitive advantages in the publishing market. Our iconic brands have enabled us to build a loyal readership and establish relationships with consumers, major advertisers and distributors. We have leveraged the strength of our portfolio of brands through joint ventures, licensing opportunities, and strategic relationships with several national retailers. We believe the combination of our well-known brands, established relationship with advertisers and distributors, and ability to leverage our brands with major retailers and to monetize content across multiple platforms creates a competitive position that is difficult to replicate.replicate or enter the market.

The magazine publishing industry is transforming itself into media content providers with multiple revenue sources. The impact has been a decline in circulation and print advertising revenues, partially offset by the growth in digital revenues. Our brands go beyond the printed page. We engage an audience of more than 8988 million men and women every month through not only magazines, and books, but also social media, television, and on all digital platforms, from phones and tablets to laptops and desktops. We are embarking on a transformationhave transformed from being a leading media company to a lifestyle brand that informs and entertains while also selling nutritionalcreating consumer and trade events to sell products and recreational activities.for our advertisers.

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

TheOur circulation revenue, representing the sale of magazines to consumers, via newsstand sales, also known as single copy sales, and subscriptions (our circulation revenue) is our largest revenue stream generatinggenerates more than half of our total operating revenues. The sale of advertising across our multiple platforms generates approximately one-quarterone-third of our total revenues. The remaining operating revenues are generated by our other operations related to our brands.

Operating Revenues

Circulation

Our circulation revenue, representing the sale of magazines to consumers, generates more than half of our total revenues. Circulation is an important component in determining our advertising revenues because advertising rates are dependent on circulation and audience. Single copy sales (also known as newsstand unitssales) are sold primarily through national distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Subscriptions are sold primarily through direct mail, subscription sales agents or digitally via the Internet. Additionally, digital-only subscriptions and single-copy digital issues of our magazines and digital-only subscriptions are sold or distributed through various app stores and other digital storefronts.

Newsstand Sales

We rely on wholesalers for the retail distribution of our magazines. A small number of wholesalers are responsible for a substantial percentage of the wholesale magazine distribution business. The decline in magazine sales at newsstands and other retail outlets have increased the financial instability of magazine wholesalers.wholesalers during 2014. Several of our wholesalers, including our former second-largest wholesaler, Source Interlink Companies ("Source"), ceased operation during 2014.

The raterates at which we sell print advertising is dependentdepend on each magazine's rate base, which is the circulation of the magazine that we guarantee to our advertisers, as well as our audience size. If we are not able to meet our committed rate base, the price paid by advertisers is generally subject to downward adjustments, including in the form of future credits or discounts. Our published rates for each of our magazines are subject to negotiation with each of our advertisers.

Operating Expenses

Our primary operating expenses consist of costs related to the production distribution, circulation and other cost of sales,our printed magazines, as well as selling, general and administrative expenses.

We incur most of our operating expenses during the production of our printed magazines, which includes costs for printing and paper. Paper is the principal raw material utilized in our publications. Wepublications and we have a long-term paper supply and purchasing agreement with the largest paper supply broker in the United States which manages all aspects of our raw material paper inventory.States. The price of paper is driven by market conditions and therefore difficult to predict. Changes in paper prices could significantly affect our business. We believe adequate supplies of paper are available to fulfill our planned, as well as future, publishing requirements. We have

Printing is a significant component in the production of our printed magazines. The majority of our printing is with a single printer pursuant to a long-term printing contracts with three major third-party printing companies. Our production expenses, including paper and printing costs, accounted for approximately 26%, 30% and 28% of our operating expenses for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Subscription copies of our magazines are distributed primarily through the United States Postal Service (USPS) as periodicals mail. We coordinate with our printers and local USPS distribution centers to achieve efficiencies in our production and distribution processes and to minimize mail processing costs and delays. However, we are subject to the postal rate increases that affect delivery costs associated with our magazines. In JanuaryEffective May 31, 2015, the USPS applied to the Postal Regulation Commission to increase rates by approximately 2% for all classes of mail effective April 2015. The USPS has received acceptance forwere increased by approximately 2% by the rate increase which went into effect on May 31, 2015.Postal Regulation Commission. Increases in postal rates are factored into our pricing, however, there can be unexpected increases in postal rates or other delivery charges.charges that would have a negative impact on our results of operations. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors - Our business and results of operations could be negatively affected by postal service changes, and our results of operations may be adversely affected by increases in postal rates." Subscription postage accounted for approximately 40%, 34% and 32%, respectively, of our distribution and circulation expenses for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013.

Debt Related Transactions

In connection withDuring the Merger,first quarter of fiscal 2016, AMI entered into a note purchase agreement (the "Note Purchase Agreement") with the Investors pursuant to which AMI issued to the Investors approximately $12.3 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes, which bear interest at a rate of 10% per annum, payable in kind, and mature in June 2018 (the "Second Lien PIK Notes").

In March 2016, AMI exchanged approximately $58.9 million in aggregate principal amount of First Lien Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, held by the Investors, for approximately $39.0$76.0 million aggregate principal amount of new second lien senior secured notes, which bear interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum and mature in July 2020 (the "New Second Lien Notes"), pursuant to an exchange agreement (the "New Second Lien Notes Exchange Agreement").

In March 2016, AMI repurchased approximately $56.1the remaining $2.2 million in aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes, consistingwhich bear interest at a rate of $55.5 million13.5% per annum and mature in aggregate principal amount of FirstJune 2018 (the "Second Lien Notes and $0.6 million in aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes,Notes"), plus accrued and unpaid interest in the open market, frommarket. Upon the Investors.

See Note 4, "Revolving Credit Facility" and Note 5, "Senior Secured Notes" to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report for further information regarding our debt agreements.

BUSINESS SEGMENTS

Celebrity Brands

This segment consists of the following brands in print and digital:

Certain information related to our Celebrity publications is as follows:

Men's Active Lifestyle

The following table sets forth the average circulation (per issue) and U.S. cover prices for our Men's Active Lifestyle segment:

During the second quarter of fiscal 2015, we recorded a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $17.4 million for the Men's Active Lifestyle segment goodwill and tradenames. Additional information regarding impairments may be found in Note 3, "Goodwill and Other Identified Intangible Assets" in the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Corporate and Other

Corporate overhead expenses are not allocated to other segments and are included in this segment. This includes corporate executives, production, circulation, information technology, accounting, legal, human resources, business development and administrative department costs.

COMPETITION

Publishing is a highly competitive business and we compete with other magazine publishers for advertising market share and for the time and attention of consumers of print magazine media content. We also compete with digital publishers and other forms of media, including websites, digital magazines, social media and mobile apps.

Competition among print magazine and digital publishers for advertising is primarily based on the circulation and readership of magazines and the number of visitors to websites, in addition to, the demographic profile of the audience, advertising rates and the effectiveness of our advertising sales teams. The continuing shift in consumer preference from print media to digital media has introduced significant new competition for advertising.

Competition among print magazine publishers for magazine readership is based primarily on brand perception, magazine cover selection, content, quality price,and price. Competition for subscription-based readership is also based on subscriber acquisition and retention and competition for newsstand-based readership is also based on magazine cover selection as well as the placement and display of magazines in retail outlets. Technological advances and the growing popularity of digitally-delivered content and mobile consumer devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have introduced significant new competition for circulation in the form of readily available free or low-priced digital content.

Our magazine publishing and website operations compete with numerous other magazine and website publishers and other media for circulation and audience. The use of digital devices as distribution platforms for content has increased competition for our business. See the section titled “Risk Factors—We face significant competition from other magazine publishers and other forms of media, including digital media, which we expect will continue, and as a result we may not be able to maintain or improve our operating results and competitive position.” We believe our advertising sales team has the optimal structure to provide compelling integrated marketing solutions for our advertising clients.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

We protect our copyrighted content by registering our publications with the United States Copyright Office.  Our extensive portfolio consists of approximately 3,4433,815 copyrights including, but not limited to: National Enquirer, Star, OK!, Globe, National Examiner, Soap Opera Digest, Men's Fitness, Flex, Muscle & Fitness and Muscle & Fitness Hers. We also file copyright registrations for our special interest publications.

We regard our rights in and to our trademarks and copyrights as valuable assets. Accordingly, to protect our trademarks and copyrights against infringement and denigration by third parties, we control access to our proprietary technology and other confidential information through a combination of confidentiality and license agreements with our employees, consultants, and third parties with whom we have relationships. We also monitor the marketplace for third-party infringement and enforce our rights under trademark, copyright and other applicable laws. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights through intellectual property rights, licenses, and confidentiality agreements, we may not be able to prevent unauthorized parties from using our brand names and content.

GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS

Marketing Regulation

Advertising and promotional information and our other marketing activities are subject to federal and state consumer protection laws that regulate unfair and deceptive practices. In the United States, Congress has adopted legislation that regulates certain aspects of the Internet, including online content, user privacy, taxation, liability for third-party activities and jurisdiction. Federal, state, local and foreign governments are also considering other legislative and regulatory proposals that would regulate the Internet in more and different ways than exist today.

Postal Regulation

The distribution of our magazine subscriptions are affected by the laws and regulations ofrelating to the U.S. Postal Service (the “USPS”).USPS. The Governors of the USPS review prices for mailing services annually and adjust postage rates periodically. The financial condition of the USPS continues to decline. We continually seek the most economical and effective methods for mail delivery, including cost-saving strategies offered within the postal rate structure. The financial condition of the USPS continues to decline. If postal reform legislation is enacted, it could result in, among other things, increases in postal rates, local post office closures and the elimination of Saturday mail delivery. The elimination of current protections against significant and unpredictable rate increases or other changes to the USPS as a result of the enactment of postal reform legislation could have an adverse effect on our businesses.

SEASONALITY

Our business has always experienced seasonality, which we expect will continue, due to advertising patterns based on consumer reading habits. Fluctuations in quarterly performance are also due to variations in our publication schedule and variability of audience traffic on our websites. Not all of our publications are published on a regular schedule throughout the year. Additionally, the publication schedule for our special interest publications can vary and lead to quarterly fluctuations in our operating results.

Advertising revenue from our magazines and websites is typically highest in our fourth fiscal quarter due to our health and fitness magazines. During our fourth fiscal quarter, which begins on January 1st, advertisers and consumers are focused on the "New Year and New You." Certain newsstand costs vary from quarter to quarter, particularly marketing costs associated with the distribution of our magazines.

EMPLOYEES

AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND WEBSITE

Our business faces many risks. Any of the following risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and cash flows and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report. While we believe we have identified and discussed below the material risks affecting our business, there may be additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know or that we do not currently believe to be material that may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations in the future.

Our substantial indebtedness and our ability to incur additional indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our level of indebtedness could have important consequences for our business and operations, including the following:

Under the Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility, we have to comply with a maximum first lien leverage ratio, a consolidated leverage ratio and an interest coverage ratio. Our ability to satisfy these ratios is dependent on our business performing in accordance with our projections. If the performance of our business deviates from our projections, we may not be able to satisfy these ratios. If we do not comply with these or other covenants and restrictions, we would be in default under our Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility unless we obtained a waiver from the required lenders thereunder. Our outstanding debt under our Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility, together with accrued interest, could then be declared immediately due and payable and commitments thereunder could be terminated. Our ability to comply with such provisions may be affected by events beyond our control. Moreover, the instruments governing almost all our other debt contain cross-acceleration provisions so that acceleration under any of our debt may result in a default under our other debt instruments. If a cross-acceleration occurs, the maturity of almost all our debt could be accelerated and become immediately due and payable. If that happens, we would not be able to satisfy our debt obligations, which would have a substantial adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern.

Obligations under our Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility are secured by liens on substantially all our assets and the assets of certain domestic subsidiaries. In addition, our obligations under our Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility are secured by a pledge of all the issued and outstanding shares of, or other equity interests in, certain of our existing or subsequently acquired or organized domestic subsidiaries and a percentage of the capital stock of, or other equity interests in, certain of our existing or subsequently acquired or organized foreign subsidiaries. If we, or one of our restricted subsidiaries, should be declared bankrupt or insolvent, or if we otherwise default under our Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility, the lenders could declare all the funds borrowed thereunder, together with accrued interest, immediately due and payable and commitments thereunder could be terminated. If we were unable to repay such debt, the lenders could foreclose on the pledged stock of our subsidiaries and on the assets in which they have been granted a security interest.

If our operations do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy our debt service obligations, we may need to borrow additional funds to make these payments or undertake alternative financing plans, such as refinancing or restructuring our indebtedness, disposing of assets or reducing or delaying capital investments and acquisitions. We cannot guarantee that such additional funds or alternative financing will be available on favorable terms, if at all. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or obtain additional funds or alternative financing on acceptable terms could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flows from operations or that we can obtain alternative financing proceeds in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness, or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Changes in our credit ratings or macroeconomic conditions may affect our liquidity, increasing borrowing costs and limiting our financing options.

Our corporate credit rating is currently rated below investment grade by Standard & Poor’s. If our credit ratings are lowered further, borrowing costs for future long-term debt or short-term borrowing facilities may increase and our financing options would be limited. A reduction in our credit rating or the credit rating of our outstanding debt securities may also cause our future borrowings to be subject to additional restrictive covenants that would reduce our flexibility. In addition, macroeconomic conditions, such as continued or increased volatility or disruption in the credit markets, could adversely affect our ability to refinance existing debt or obtain additional financing to support operations or to fund new acquisitions or capital-intensive internal initiatives.

If we fail to implement our business strategy, our business will be adversely affected.

Our future financial performance and success are dependent in large part upon our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. We may not be able to successfully implement our business strategy or maintain or improve our operating results. In particular, we may not be able to maintain or increase circulation of our publications, obtain new sources of advertising revenues, generate additional revenues by building on the brand names of our publications or raise the cover prices of our publications without causing a decline in circulation.

Any failure to successfully implement our business strategy may adversely affect our ability to service our indebtedness, including our ability to make principal and interest payments on the debt. We may, in addition, decide to alter or discontinue certain aspects of our business strategy at any time.

We face significant competition from other magazine publishers and other forms of media, including digital media, which we expect will continue, and as a result we may not be able to maintain or improve our operating results and competitive position.

We compete in varying degrees with other magazine publishers for market share and for the time and attention of consumers of print magazine content. We believe the overall decline in consumer demand for print magazines has been negatively impacted by the multitude of choices available to consumers for information and entertainment which has intensified our competition with other magazine publishers for share of print magazine readership. Competition among print magazine publishers for magazine readership is based primarily on brand perception, magazine cover selection and content, quality and price as well as placement and display in retail outlets.

We also compete with digital publishers and other forms of media, including websites, digital magazines, tablet editions and mobile apps. The competition we face has intensified as a result of the growing popularity of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Consumers are increasingly opting to consume publisher's content through these digital platforms and are shifting away from print media. These new platforms have reduced the cost of producing and distributing content on a wide scale, allowing new free or low-priced digital content providers to compete with us and other print magazine publishers. The ability of our paid print and digital content to compete successfully with free and low-priced digital content depends on several factors, including our ability to differentiate and distinguish our content from free or low-priced digital content, as well as our ability to increase the value of paid subscriptions to our customers by offering a different, deeper and richer digital experience. If we are unable to distinguish our content from that of our competitors or adapt to new distribution methods, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Competition among print magazine and digital publishers for advertising is primarily based on the circulation and readership of magazines and the number of visitors to websites, respectively, the demographic profile of the audience, advertising rates and the effectiveness of advertising sales teams. The continuing shift in consumer preference from print media to digital media has introduced significant new competition for advertising. We believe our advertising sales team has the optimal structure to provide integrated marketing solutions for combined print and digital advertising and we can compete successfully for advertising. If we are unable to convince advertisers of the continuing value of our combined print and digital advertising platforms or offer advertisers unique advertising programs tied to our brands, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We are exposed to risk associated with weak domestic and global economic conditions.

We have been adversely affected by weak domestic and global economic conditions and have experienced declines in our circulation and to a lesser extent our advertising revenues. If these conditions persist, our business, financial condition and results of operations may continue to be adversely affected. Factors that affect economic conditions include the rate of unemployment, the level of consumer confidence and changes in consumer spending habits. Because magazines are generally discretionary purchases for consumers, our circulation revenues are sensitive to general economic conditions and economic cycles. Certain economic conditions such as general economic downturns, including periods of increased inflation, unemployment levels, tax rates, interest rates, gasoline and other energy prices or declining consumer confidence, negatively impact consumer spending. Reduced consumer spending or a shift in consumer spending patterns away from discretionary items will likely result in reduced demand for our magazines.

Historically, we have been able to offset some of the declines in circulation revenues, in part, through increases in cover prices and cost reductions. We may not be able to increase cover prices without decreasing circulation or be able to take other measures, such as increasing advertising rates or pages and reducing print orders of our titles, to offset such circulation revenue declines. In addition, we may not be able to reverse the circulation revenue declines described above, and such declines in circulation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We also face risks associated with the impact of weak domestic and global economic conditions on third parties with which we do business, such as advertisers, suppliers, wholesale distributors, retailers and other parties. For example, if retailers file for reorganization under bankruptcy laws or otherwise experience negative effects on their businesses due to volatile or weak economic conditions, it could reduce the number of outlets for our magazines, which in turn could reduce the attractiveness of our magazines to advertisers. In addition, any financial instability of the wholesalers that distribute our print magazines to retailers could have various negative effects on us. See “—We“We have experienced, and may in the future continue to face increased costs and business disruption from instability in our wholesaler distribution channels.”

We derive substantial revenues from the sale of advertising, and a decrease in overall advertising expenditures could lead to a reduction in the amount of advertising that companies are willing to purchase from us and the price at which they purchase it. Expenditures by advertisers tend to be cyclical, reflecting domestic and global economic conditions. If the economic prospects of advertisers or current economic conditions worsen, such conditions could alter current or prospective advertisers’ spending priorities. Declines in consumer spending on advertisers’ products due to weak economic conditions could also indirectly negatively impact our advertising revenues, as advertisers may not perceive as much value from advertising if consumers are purchasing fewer of their products or services.

We have experienced, and may in the future continue to face increased costs and business disruption from instability in our wholesaler distribution channels.

We operate a distribution network that relies on wholesalers to distribute our magazines to newsstands and other retail outlets. A small number of wholesalers are responsible for a substantial percentage of wholesale magazine distribution in the United States. We are experiencing significant declines in magazine sales at newsstands and other retail outlets. In light of these declines and the challenging general economic climate, there may be further consolidation among the wholesalers and one or more may become insolvent or unable to pay amounts due in a timely manner. Distribution channel disruptions can impede our ability to distribute magazines to the retail marketplace, which could, among other things, negatively affect the ability of certain magazines to meet the rate base established with advertisers. Disruption in the wholesaler channel, an increase in wholesaler costs or the failure of wholesalers to pay amounts due could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See also “Our circulation revenue consists of single copy sales distributed to retailers primarily by two wholesalers and the loss of either of these wholesalers could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.”

Our circulation revenue consists of single copy sales distributed to retailers primarily by two wholesalers and the loss of either of these wholesalers could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.

In May 2014, Source, our second-largest wholesaler at such time, notified us that they were ceasing substantially all distribution operations in the near term and filed for bankruptcy in June 2014.

Changes to U.S. or international regulation of our business or the businesses of our advertisers could cause us to incur additional costs or liabilities, negatively impact our revenues or disrupt our business practices.

Our digital businesses are subject to government regulation in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and our Web sites, which are available worldwide, may be subject to laws regulating the Internet even in jurisdictions where we do not do business. Advertising and promotional information presented to visitors on our websites and our other marketing activities are subject to federal and state consumer protection laws that regulate unfair and deceptive practices. In the United States, Congress has adopted legislation that regulates certain aspects of the Internet, including on-line content, user privacy, taxation, liability for third-party activities and jurisdiction. Federal, state, local and foreign governments are also considering other legislative and regulatory proposals that would regulate the Internet in more and different ways than exist today. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Revenues from our digital businesses could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by these existing or future laws and regulations.

Our business performance is also indirectly affected by the laws and regulations that govern the businesses of our advertisers. For example, the pharmaceutical industry, which accounts for a significant portion of our advertising revenues in our Men's Active Lifestyle segment, is subject to regulations of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States requiring pharmaceutical advertisers to communicate certain disclosures to consumers about advertised pharmaceutical products, typically through the purchase of print media advertising. We face the risk that the Food and Drug Administration could change pharmaceutical marketing regulations in a way that is detrimental to the sale of print advertising.

In addition, changes in laws and regulations that currently allow us to retain customer data and to engage in certain forms of consumer marketing, such as automatic renewal of subscriptions for our magazines and negative option offers via direct mail, email, on-line or telephone solicitation, could have a negative impact on our circulation revenues and adversely affect our financial condition and operating performance.

Our business and results of operations could be negatively affected by postal service changes, and our results of operations may be adversely affected by increases in postal rates.

The financial condition of the U.S. Postal Service (the “USPS”) continues to decline. In the past2015, the USPS closed numerous mail processing centers and has announced plans to close additional processing centers in 2014, which could result in slowerintroduced new service standards that slowed the delivery of first classperiodic mail and periodicals. The USPS is currently prohibited underresulted in a Congressional resolution from discontinuing Saturday mail delivery, but the USPS and some membersportion of Congress are attempting to lift that ban as part of comprehensive postal reform.our weekly magazines being delivered a day later. Our subscribers expect our weekly magazines to be delivered in the same week that they are printed, and the elimination of Saturday mail delivery or slower delivery of periodicals, absent changes to our internal production schedules, could result in a certain percentage of our weekly magazines not reaching subscribers until the following week. We cannot predict how the USPS will address its fiscal condition in the future, and changes to delivery, reduction in staff or additional closings of processing centers may lead to changes in our internal production schedules or other changes in order to continue to meet our subscribers’ expectations.

Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected by increases in fuel costs and the price of paper.

We cannot predict with certainty the magnitude of future price changes in paper or how increases in fuel costs will affect our third-party suppliers and the rates they charge us. If fuel or paper prices increase and we are not able to offset such increases, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Our business may be adversely affected if we lose one or more of our vendors.

We rely on third-party vendors, including paper suppliers, printers, subscription fulfillment houses and subscription agents for the print portion of our business. The industries in which our print-related third-party vendors operate have experienced significant restructurings and consolidation in recent years, resulting in decreased availability of goods and services and competition. Further disruptions in these industries may make our third-party vendors unable or unwilling to provide us with goods and services on favorable terms and may lead to greater dependence on certain vendors, increased prices, and interruptions and delays in the services provided by these vendors, all of which would adversely affect our business.

We may suffer credit losses that could adversely affect our results of operations.

We extend unsecured credit to most of our customers. We recognize that extending credit and setting appropriate reserves for receivables is largely a subjective decision based on knowledge of the customer and the industry. Credit exposure also includes the amount of estimated unbilled sales. The level of credit is influenced by the customer’s credit history with us and other available information, including industry-specific data.

We maintain a reserve account for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to pay, additional allowances might be required, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Future acquisitions, partnerships, publishing services agreements and joint ventures may require significant resources.

In the future, we may seek to grow the Company and its businesses by making acquisitions or entering into partnerships, publishing services agreements or joint ventures. Any future acquisition, partnership, publishing services agreement or joint venture may require that we make significant cash investments, issue stock or incur substantial indebtedness. Such acquisitions and investments may require additional funding which may be provided in the form of additional indebtedness, equity financing or a combination thereof. We cannot assure that any such additional funding will be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all, or that we will be permitted under the terms of the Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility (or any replacement thereof) or under the terms of the indentures governing our Senior Secured Notes to obtain such financing for such purpose.

We have incurred indebtedness in the past to finance acquisitions. We may finance future acquisitions with additional indebtedness, subject to limits in our debt agreements. As a result, we could face the financial risks associated with incurring additional indebtedness such as reducing our liquidity and access to financing markets and increasing the amount of cash flow required to service such indebtedness.

We may make acquisitions or enter into partnerships, publishing services agreements or joint ventures which could involve inherent risk and uncertainties.

We may make acquisitions or enter into partnerships, publishing services agreements or joint ventures which could involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including:

If an acquired business fails to operate as anticipated, cannot be successfully integrated with our existing business or one or more of the other risk and uncertainties identified above occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We are expanding our merchandising and licensing programs into new areas and products, the failure of any of which could diminish the perceived value of our brand, impair our ability to grow and adversely affect our prospects.

Our growth depends to a significant degree upon our ability to develop new or expand existing retail merchandising programs. We have entered into several new merchandising and licensing agreements in the past few years. Some of these agreements include exclusivity provisions and have a duration of many years. While we require that our licensees maintain the quality of our respective brands through specific contractual provisions, we cannot be certain that our licensees, or their manufacturers and distributors, will honor their contractual obligations or that they will not take other actions that will diminish the value of our brands.

There is also a risk that our extension into new business areas will meet with disapproval from consumers. We cannot guarantee that these programs will be fully implemented, or, if implemented, that they will be successful. If the licensing or merchandising programs do not succeed, we may be prohibited from seeking different channels for our products due to the exclusivity provisions and multi-year terms of these agreements. Disputes with new or existing licensees may arise that could hinder our ability to grow or expand our product lines. Disputes also could prevent or delay our ability to collect the licensing revenue that we expect in connection with these products. If such developments occur or our merchandising programs are otherwise not successful, the value and recognition of our brands, as well as our business, financial condition and prospects, could be materially adversely affected.

Electronically stored data is subject to the risk of unauthorized access and if our data is compromised in spite of our attempts at protecting this data, we may incur significant costs, lost opportunities and damage to our reputation.

We maintain information necessary to conduct our business, including confidential, proprietary and personal information in digital form. Data maintained in digital form is subject to the risk of intrusion, tampering and theft. We develop and maintain systems to prevent this from occurring, but the development and maintenance of these systems is costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. Moreover, despite our efforts, the possibility of intrusion, tampering and theft cannot be eliminated entirely, and risks associated with each of these remain. If our data systems are compromised or if the proprietary information of our customers or employees is misappropriated, our ability to conduct our business may be impaired, our reputation with our customers and employees may be injured resulting in loss of business or morale and we could be exposed to a risk of loss due to business interruption, or litigation.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, the value of our intangible assets may be diminished and our competitive position and business may be adversely affected.

Our business relies on a combination of trade secrets, trademarks, tradenames, copyrights and other proprietary rights, as well as contractual arrangements, including licenses, to establish and protect our intellectual property and brand names. Our continued success and competitive position depends on our proprietary trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property rights. See "Business - Intellectual Property" for a description of our intellectual property assets and the steps we take to protect them.

Other parties may infringe on our intellectual property rights and may thereby dilute the value of our brands in the marketplace. Brand dilution or the introduction of competitive brands could cause confusion in the marketplace and adversely affect the value that consumers associate with our brands, thereby negatively impacting our sales. Any such infringement of our intellectual property rights would also likely result in a commitment of our time and resources, financial or otherwise, to protect these rights through litigation or other means. In addition, third parties may assert claims against our intellectual property rights and we may not be able to successfully resolve those claims causing us to lose our ability to use our intellectual property that is the subject of those claims. Such loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results from operations. Furthermore, from time to time, we may be involved in litigation in which we are enforcing or defending our intellectual property rights, which could require us to incur substantial fees and expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results from operations.

Our performance could be adversely affected if we lose our key personnel.

We believe that our success is largely dependent on the abilities and experience of our senior management team. The loss of the services of one or more of these senior executives could adversely affect our ability to effectively manage our overall operations or successfully execute current or future business strategies. We do not maintain key man life insurance on the lives of our senior management. We have entered into employment agreements or arrangements with our senior management team, which may contain non-compete provisions. While we believe that we could find replacements for these key personnel, the loss of their services could disrupt our business and have a significant adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our operating results are subject to seasonal variations.

Our business has experienced, and is expected to continue to experience, seasonality due to, among other things, seasonal advertising patterns and seasonal influences on consumer reading habits. Typically, our revenues from advertising are highest in the fourth quarter. The effects of such seasonality make it difficult to estimate future operating results based on the previous results of any specific quarter.

Pending and future litigation or regulatory proceedings could materially affect our operations.

Since the focus of some of our publications often involves celebrities or controversial subjects and because of our news gathering techniques, the risk of defamation or invasion of privacy litigation or the filing of criminal charges exists. While we have not historically experienced any difficulty obtaining insurance coverage, we cannot assure that we will be able to do so in the future at rates acceptable to us, or at all. In addition to the celebrity litigation in which we may be involved, from time to time we may be involved in commercial litigation. Any pending or future litigation or regulatory proceeding, if adversely determined, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war may affect the financial markets and our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Terrorist attacks may negatively affect our operations and financial condition. There can be no assurance that there will not be further terrorist attacks against the United States or U.S. businesses. These attacks or armed conflicts may directly impact our physical facilities, such as those in New York City, or those of our retailers, suppliers and customers. These events could cause consumer confidence and their discretionary spending to decrease or result in increased volatility in the U.S. and world financial markets and economy. They could result in an economic recession in the United States or abroad. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If our goodwill or other identifiable intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings.

Under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are required to be tested for impairment annually or more often if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate a potential impairment exists, and long-lived assets, including finite-lived intangible assets, are required to be tested for impairment upon the occurrence of a triggering event. Factors that could lead to impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets include significant adverse changes in the business climate and declines in the value of our business.

The Company did not record any impairment charges during fiscal 2016. During an evaluation of goodwill and other identified intangible assets at September 30, 2014,during fiscal 2015, the Company determined that indicators were present in certain reporting units which would suggest the fair value of the reporting unit may have declined below the carrying value. This decline was primarily due to the continuing softness in the consumer magazine sector, which impacts consumer and advertising spending, including further declines in certain advertising markets, resulting in lowered future cash flow projections. The evaluation resulted in the carrying value of tradenames for certain reporting units to exceed the estimated fair value. As a result, the Company recorded a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $17.4 million to reduce the carrying value of tradenames and goodwill during the second quarter of fiscal 2015.

Some provisions of Delaware law and our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may deter third parties from acquiring us.

Provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the laws of Delaware, the state in which we are incorporated, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our stockholders. Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation impose various procedural and other requirements, which could make it more difficult for stockholders to effect certain corporate actions. These anti-takeover defenses could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and cause us to take other corporate actions that our stockholders desire.

If we do not maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls, our operating results and reputation would be harmed.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, effectively prevent fraud and operate successfully. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our operating results and reputation would be harmed. As part of our ongoing monitoring, we may discover material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that require remediation.

We cannot assure that material weaknesses or significant deficiencies, to the extent they exist, in internal controls over financial reporting or disclosure controls would be identified in the future. Any failure to maintain effective controls or timely effect any necessary improvement of our internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls could, among other things, result in losses from fraud or error, cause us not to satisfy our reporting obligations, cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information or harm our reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our financial statements are subject to changes in accounting standards that could adversely impact our profitability or financial position.

Our financial statements are subject to the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”), which are periodically revised and/or expanded. Accordingly, from time to time we are required to adopt new or revised accounting standards issued by recognized authoritative bodies, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The impact of accounting pronouncements that have been issued but not yet implemented is disclosed in our annual and quarterly reports. An assessment of proposed standards is not provided, as such proposals are subject to change through the exposure draft process and, therefore, their effects on our financial statements cannot be meaningfully assessed. It is possible that future accounting standards we are required to adopt could change the current accounting treatment that we apply to our consolidated financial statements and that such changes could have a material adverse effect on the reported results of operations and financial position.

None.

The leases for our offices and facilities expire between 20152017 and 2022,2023, and some of these leases are subject to our renewal. We believe that our existing facilities are well maintained and in good operating condition.

On March 10, 2009, Anderson News, L.L.C. and Anderson Services, L.L.C., magazine wholesalers (collectively, “Anderson”), filed a lawsuit against American Media, Inc., DSI (now known as In-Store Services, Inc.), and various magazine publishers, wholesalers and distributors in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Anderson Action”). Anderson's complaint alleged that the defendants violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by engaging in a purported industry-wide conspiracy to boycott Anderson and drive it out of business. Plaintiffs also purported to assert claims for defamation, tortious interference with contract and civil conspiracy. The complaint did not specify the amount of damages sought. On August 2, 2010, the District Court dismissed the action in its entirety with prejudice and without leave to replead and, on October 25, 2010, denied Anderson's motion for reconsideration of the dismissal decision. Anderson appealed the District Court's decisions.

On April 3, 2012, the Second Circuit issued a decision reversing the dismissal of the lawsuit and reinstating the antitrust and state law claims (except the defamation claim, which Anderson withdrew), and, on January 7, 2013, the United States Supreme Court declined to review the Second Circuit decision. Following the Second Circuit decision, the case has been proceeding inwas remanded to the District Court and the parties engaged in discovery. On February 14, 2014, American Media, Inc. filed an amended answer and counterclaim in the Anderson Action asserting an antitrust claim against Anderson News, L.L.C. and Charles Anderson, Jr. based on the same events as Anderson’s claims. Two other defendants also filed the same counterclaim. Fact discovery was completed in May 2014 and expert discovery was completed in October 2014. Anderson submitted an expert report calculating that damages are approximately $470 million, which would be subject to trebling should Anderson prevail against the defendants in the lawsuit. Defendants, including American Media, Inc. and DSI, also have submitted an expert report on damages, which opines that, separate and apart from the question of liability, Anderson has suffered no damages.

AsOur circulation revenue, representing the sale of magazines to consumers, generates more than half of our total revenues and is an important component in determining our advertising revenues because advertising rates are dependent on circulation and audience. Single copy sales (also known as newsstand sales) are sold primarily through national distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Subscriptions are sold primarily through direct mail, or digitally via the Internet. Additionally, digital-only subscriptions and single-copy digital issues of our magazines are sold or distributed through various app stores and other digital storefronts. Our digital subscriptions represent 15% of our 2.0 million net subscriptions as of March 31, 2015, our digital subscriptions represent 20% of our 2.1 million paid subscriptions,2016, the highest percentage among our competitive set. Digital subscription revenue represented 1%, 3% and 4% of our circulation revenue during fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The sale of advertising across our multiple platforms generates approximately one-third of our total revenues. Print advertising revenue continues to be negatively impacted by the decline in the consumer magazine sector coupled with the declinetransformation of advertising from print to digital.

The rates at which we sell print advertising depend on each magazine's rate base, which is the circulation of the magazine that we guarantee to our advertisers, as well as our audience size. If we are not able to meet our committed rate base, the price paid by advertisers is generally subject to downward adjustments, including in the celebrity newsstand magazine market and the discontinuance and reductionform of special one-time celebrity publications. Circulation revenue was further impacted during fiscal 2015 by the industry-wide disruption infuture credits or discounts. Our published rates for each of our wholesaler channel duemagazines are subject to the shutdown and bankruptcynegotiation with each of Source.

Other Revenue