Registration No. 333-

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 1996.




                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC  20549
                             ________________________

                                     FORM S-8
                           Registration Statement Under
                            the Securities Act of 1933
                             ________________________


                               MEREDITH CORPORATION
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


                      Iowa                             42-0410230
          (State or Other Jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer
           Incorporation or Organization)          Identification No.)


                               1716 Locust Street
                           Des Moines, Iowa 50309-3023
                     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)


                              MEREDITH CORPORATION
                1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS
                            (Full Title of the Plan)
          

                              Thomas L. Slaughter
                   Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary
                              Meredith Corporation
                               1716 Locust Street
                                Des Moines, Iowa
                      (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

                                 (515) 284-3000
           (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)




                                     - 1 -
<PAGE>
_______________________________________________________________________________

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                    Proposed    Proposed
       Title of                      Maximum     Maximum
      Securities       Amount       Offering    Aggregate       Amount of
       to be           to be         Price       Offering      Registration
      Registered     Registered*   Per Share**    Price**          Fee
_______________________________________________________________________________

Common Stock,      200,000 Shares    $47.375    $9,475,000      $3,267.24
par value $1  
_______________________________________________________________________________

 *An undetermined number of additional shares may be issued if the anti-
  dilution adjustment provisions of the plan become operative.

**Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
  accordance with rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act of 1933 on the
  basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as
  reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 15, 1996.
______________________________________________________________________________



                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents are incorporated by reference into this
registration statement:

         (1) The Annual Report of Meredith Corporation (the "Company") on Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1995, which has heretofore been filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant
to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act").

         (2) The Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly
periods ended September 30, 1995, December 31, 1995 and March 31, 1996, filed
by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act.

         (3) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission pursuant
to Section 12 of the 1934 Act.
                                     - 2 -
<PAGE>
         All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the 1934 Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold
or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to
be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents (such documents, and the
documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as "Incorporated
Documents"); provided, however, that the documents enumerated above or
subsequently filed by the registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in each year during which the
offering made by this registration statement is in effect prior to the filing
with the Commission of the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K covering
such year shall not be Incorporated Documents or be incorporated by reference
in this registration statement or be a part hereof from and after the filing of
such Annual Report on Form 10-K.

         Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document shall be deemed to
be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.


Item 4.  Description of Securities.

           The securities to be offered are registered under Section 12(b) of
the 1934 Act.


Item 5.  Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

           Not applicable.


Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

           Certain provisions of the Iowa Business Corporation Act provide that
the Company may indemnify the directors and officers of the Company and
affiliated companies against liabilities and expenses incurred by reason of the
fact that such persons were serving in such capacities, subject to certain
limitations and conditions set forth in the statute.  Article Twelfth of the
Bylaws of the Company provides that the Company shall indemnify its directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Iowa law.

           The Company maintains directors and officers liability insurance
covering all directors and officers of the Company against claims arising out
of the performance of their duties.
                                     - 3 -
<PAGE>

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

           Not applicable.


Item 8.  Exhibits.

           Reference is made to the Exhibit Index.


Item 9.  Undertakings.

           The registrant hereby undertakes:

           (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

           (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"), each such post-effective amendment shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

           (3) That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the
Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and where applicable each
filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

           (4) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

           (5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 6 or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the

                                     - 4 -
<PAGE>

registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.




                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
undersigned registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of Iowa, on the
16th day of May, 1996.

                              MEREDITH CORPORATION


                              By:           /s/Jack D. Rehm
                                  ------------------------------------
                                  Jack D. Rehm
                                  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Meredith Corporation,
hereby severally constitute Jack D. Rehm and Thomas L. Slaughter, and each of
them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of
them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below,
the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any and all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to said Registration
Statement, and generally to do all such things in our name and behalf in the
capacities indicated below to enable Meredith Corporation to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.



                                     - 5 -
<PAGE>

         Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement
has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the
16th day of May, 1996.


          Signature                                Title
- ----------------------------     ----------------------------------------------


       /s/Jack D. Rehm           Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
- ----------------------------     (principal executive officer)
        Jack D. Rehm


     /s/William T. Kerr          President, Chief Operating Officer and
- ----------------------------     Director
      William T. Kerr


    /s/Larry D. Hartsook         Vice President-Finance
- ----------------------------     (principal accounting and financial officer)
      Larry D. Hartsook


     /s/E. T. Meredith           Chairman of the Executive Committee and 
- ----------------------------     Director
       E. T. Meredith


     /s/Herbert M. Baum          Director
- ----------------------------
       Herbert M. Baum


    /s/Robert A. Burnett         Director
- ----------------------------
      Robert A. Burnett


    /s/Pierson M. Grieve         Director
- ----------------------------
     Pierson M. Grieve





                                     - 6 -
<PAGE>

          Signature                                Title
- ----------------------------     ----------------------------------------------


    /s/Frederick B. Henry        Director
- ----------------------------
     Frederick B. Henry


     /s/Joel W. Johnson          Director
- ----------------------------
      Joel W. Johnson


     /s/Robert E. Lee            Director
- ----------------------------
       Robert E. Lee


     /s/Richard S. Levitt        Director
- ----------------------------
      Richard S. Levitt


    /s/Nicholas L. Reding        Director
- ----------------------------
      Nicholas L. Reding


    /s/Barbara S. Uehling        Director
- ----------------------------
     Barbara S. Uehling















                                     - 7 -
<PAGE>








                                   EXHIBIT INDEX




Exhibits marked with an asterisk (*) are incorporated by reference to documents
previously filed by Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as
indicated.  All other documents listed are filed with this Registration
Statement.


     Exhibit Number                          Description
     --------------          ---------------------------------------------

          4.1 *              Restated Articles of Incorporation of Registrant,
                             as amended (Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant's Form
                             10-Q for the third quarter ended March 31, 1996).

          4.2 *              Restated by-laws of Registrant, as amended
                             (Exhibit 3.2 to Registrant's Form 10-Q for the
                             third quarter ended March 31, 1996).

          5                  Opinion (including consent) of McDermott, Will &
                             Emery

         23                  Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP














                                     - 8 -
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MEREDITH CORP", "cik": "0000065011", "assigned-sic": "2721", "irs-number": "420410230", "state-of-incorporation": "IA", "fiscal-year-end": "0630"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-04033", "film-number": "96569601"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1716 LOCUST ST", "city": "DES MOINES", "state": "IA", "zip": "50309", "phone": "5152843000"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "MEREDITH PUBLISHING CO", "date-changed": "19710317"}}
Registration No. 333-

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 1996.

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC  20549
                             ________________________

                                     FORM S-8
                           Registration Statement Under
                            the Securities Act of 1933
                             ________________________

                               MEREDITH CORPORATION
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                      Iowa                             42-0410230
          (State or Other Jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer
           Incorporation or Organization)          Identification No.)

                               1716 Locust Street
                           Des Moines, Iowa 50309-3023
                     (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                              MEREDITH CORPORATION
                1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS
                            (Full Title of the Plan)
          

                              Thomas L. Slaughter
                   Vice President-General Counsel and Secretary
                              Meredith Corporation
                               1716 Locust Street
                                Des Moines, Iowa
                      (Name and Address of Agent For Service)

                                 (515) 284-3000
           (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                     - 1 -
_______________________________________________________________________________

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                    Proposed    Proposed
       Title of                      Maximum     Maximum
      Securities       Amount       Offering    Aggregate       Amount of
       to be           to be         Price       Offering      Registration
      Registered     Registered*   Per Share**    Price**          Fee
_______________________________________________________________________________

Common Stock,      200,000 Shares    $47.375    $9,475,000      $3,267.24
par value $1  
_______________________________________________________________________________

 *An undetermined number of additional shares may be issued if the anti-
  dilution adjustment provisions of the plan become operative.

**Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in
  accordance with rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act of 1933 on the
  basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as
  reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 15, 1996.
______________________________________________________________________________

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents are incorporated by reference into this
registration statement:

         (1) The Annual Report of Meredith Corporation (the "Company") on Form
10-K for the year ended June 30, 1995, which has heretofore been filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant
to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act").

         (2) The Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly
periods ended September 30, 1995, December 31, 1995 and March 31, 1996, filed
by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act.

         (3) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission pursuant
to Section 12 of the 1934 Act.
                                     - 2 -
All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the 1934 Act, prior to the filing of a post-
effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold
or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to
be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents (such documents, and the
documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as "Incorporated
Documents"); provided, however, that the documents enumerated above or
subsequently filed by the registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in each year during which the
offering made by this registration statement is in effect prior to the filing
with the Commission of the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K covering
such year shall not be Incorporated Documents or be incorporated by reference
in this registration statement or be a part hereof from and after the filing of
such Annual Report on Form 10-K.

         Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document shall be deemed to
be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the
extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such
statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified
or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

           The securities to be offered are registered under Section 12(b) of
the 1934 Act.

Item 5.  Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

           Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

           Certain provisions of the Iowa Business Corporation Act provide that
the Company may indemnify the directors and officers of the Company and
affiliated companies against liabilities and expenses incurred by reason of the
fact that such persons were serving in such capacities, subject to certain
limitations and conditions set forth in the statute.  Article Twelfth of the
Bylaws of the Company provides that the Company shall indemnify its directors
and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Iowa law.

           The Company maintains directors and officers liability insurance
covering all directors and officers of the Company against claims arising out
of the performance of their duties.
                                     - 3 -
Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

           Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

           Reference is made to the Exhibit Index.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

           The registrant hereby undertakes:

           (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.

           (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"), each such post-effective amendment shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

           (3) That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the
Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and where applicable each
filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

           (4) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

           (5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 6 or otherwise, the
registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the

                                     - 4 -
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
undersigned registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of Iowa, on the
16th day of May, 1996.

                              MEREDITH CORPORATION

                              By:           /s/Jack D. Rehm
                                  ------------------------------------
                                  Jack D. Rehm
                                  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Meredith Corporation,
hereby severally constitute Jack D. Rehm and Thomas L. Slaughter, and each of
them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of
them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below,
the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed herewith and any and all
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to said Registration
Statement, and generally to do all such things in our name and behalf in the
capacities indicated below to enable Meredith Corporation to comply with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our
signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said
Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.

                                     - 5 -
Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement
has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the
16th day of May, 1996.

          Signature                                Title
- ----------------------------     ----------------------------------------------

       /s/Jack D. Rehm           Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
- ----------------------------     (principal executive officer)
        Jack D. Rehm

     /s/William T. Kerr          President, Chief Operating Officer and
- ----------------------------     Director
      William T. Kerr

    /s/Larry D. Hartsook         Vice President-Finance
- ----------------------------     (principal accounting and financial officer)
      Larry D. Hartsook

     /s/E. T. Meredith           Chairman of the Executive Committee and 
- ----------------------------     Director
       E. T. Meredith

     /s/Herbert M. Baum          Director
- ----------------------------
       Herbert M. Baum

    /s/Robert A. Burnett         Director
- ----------------------------
      Robert A. Burnett

    /s/Pierson M. Grieve         Director
- ----------------------------
     Pierson M. Grieve

                                     - 6 -
Signature                                Title
- ----------------------------     ----------------------------------------------

    /s/Frederick B. Henry        Director
- ----------------------------
     Frederick B. Henry

     /s/Joel W. Johnson          Director
- ----------------------------
      Joel W. Johnson

     /s/Robert E. Lee            Director
- ----------------------------
       Robert E. Lee

     /s/Richard S. Levitt        Director
- ----------------------------
      Richard S. Levitt

    /s/Nicholas L. Reding        Director
- ----------------------------
      Nicholas L. Reding

    /s/Barbara S. Uehling        Director
- ----------------------------
     Barbara S. Uehling

                                     - 7 -
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibits marked with an asterisk (*) are incorporated by reference to documents
previously filed by Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as
indicated.  All other documents listed are filed with this Registration
Statement.

     Exhibit Number                          Description
     --------------          ---------------------------------------------

          4.1 *              Restated Articles of Incorporation of Registrant,
                             as amended (Exhibit 3.1 to Registrant's Form
                             10-Q for the third quarter ended March 31, 1996).

          4.2 *              Restated by-laws of Registrant, as amended
                             (Exhibit 3.2 to Registrant's Form 10-Q for the
                             third quarter ended March 31, 1996).

          5                  Opinion (including consent) of McDermott, Will &
                             Emery

         23                  Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

                                     - 8 -