NEW YORK, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) today named Thomas C. Siekman to its Board of Directors. Mr. Siekman, formerly Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Compaq Computer Corporation, brings more than 30 years of corporate and legal experience, including expertise in intellectual property, information technology, e-commerce and corporate governance. He succeeds Naomi O. Seligman, who has stepped down from the board.

Jeffrey W. Ubben, MSO's Chairman of the Board, commented, "Tom has a proven track record of providing effective strategic counsel to corporations, including during some of their most challenging periods. He helped lead Compaq through its merger with Hewlett-Packard, and previously Digital Equipment Corporation through its merger with Compaq. Tom is also a highly respected corporate governance expert who knows and understands critical board issues and can provide valuable insights to MSO in the post-Sarbanes Oxley environment. We welcome him aboard. We also thank Naomi Seligman for her counsel and service over the past four years and wish her all the best in the future."

"Tom is an excellent addition to the MSO Board," added Sharon Patrick, President and Chief Executive Officer. "His appointment reflects our strong commitment to attract exceptional board members who bring experience and timely perspectives directly relevant to MSO's corporate priorities and business segment expertise."

"I am delighted to work with the board and MSO's talented management team to help the Company manage through a challenging environment and realize the full potential of the enterprise for the long-term benefit of shareholders," said Mr. Siekman. "MSO has established itself as a leader in providing unique, high-quality, how-to information for the home that is relied upon by a broad base of consumers, and I look forward to helping the Company take advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead."

Mr. Siekman most recently served "Of Counsel" to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, one of the world's leading law firms. Prior to joining Skadden, Arps, Mr. Siekman was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Compaq Computer Corporation, retiring from that position upon the successful completion of Compaq's merger with Hewlett-Packard. From 1973 to 1998, he served in various capacities with Digital Equipment Corporation, most recently as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, until Digital was acquired by Compaq in 1998. He has written on legal and corporate governance issues, most recently in the April 2003 issue of Directorship.

Mr. Siekman graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Merrimack College and received a law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He serves on the Boards of Idealab and Merrimack College, and is a past Chairman and Trustee of the New England Legal Foundation.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSO) is a leading provider of original how-to information that turns dreamers into doers, inspiring and engaging consumers with unique content and high-quality products for the home. MSO's creative experts develop content within eight core areas -- Home, Cooking and Entertaining, Gardening, Crafts, Holiday, Keeping, Weddings, and Baby and Kids -- that provide consumers with ideas and products to celebrate their homes and the domestic arts. MSO is organized into four business segments -- Publishing, Television, Merchandising and Internet/Direct Commerce.

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could", "expects," "plans," and "intends." The Company's actual results may differ materially from those projected in these statements, and factors that could cause such differences include downturns in national and/or local economies; a softening of the domestic advertising market; changes in consumer reading, purchasing and/or television viewing patterns; unanticipated increases in paper, postage or printing costs; technological developments affecting products or methods of distribution such as the Internet or e- commerce; operational problems at any of our contractual business partners, the receptivity of consumers to our new product introductions, and changes in government regulations affecting the Company's industries. These and other factors are discussed in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC, copies of which may be accessed through the SEC's World Wide Web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company is under no obligation to update any forward looking statements after the date of this release.

CONTACT: Investors - James Follo, Chief Financial Officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., 212-827-8218; Media - Elizabeth Estroff of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., 212-827-8281