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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.30

                           OPTION EXTENSION AGREEMENT

                                   WITNESSETH:

          This Agreement dated 7th day of April, 2001, is made between PRIMEDIA
Inc. a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Charles G. McCurdy, an employee
of the Company (the "Optionee").

          WHEREAS the Company wishes to extend the Optionee's previous grant of
options to purchase 1,400,000 shares of PRIMEDIA Inc. common stock at the strike
price of $5.00 per share which would otherwise expire on May 13, 2002 (the
"Options"); and

          WHEREAS the Company's Compensation Committee (the "Committee"),
appointed to administer the Plan, has determined that it would be to the
advantage and in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders to grant
to Optionee an extension of said Options as an incentive for increased efforts
during the Optionee's term of office with the Company.

          NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the Optionee agree as follows:

          SECTION 1.01 PRIMEDIA INC. AS SUCCESSOR TO K-III COMMUNICATIONS

          (a) The Company is the successor to K-III Communications Corporation,
a Delaware corporation ("Communications"), in respect of two Non-Qualified Stock
Option Agreements dated May 13, 1992 (the "May 13, 1992 Option Agreements")
between Communications and the Optionee.

          (b) All references to Communications in the May 13, 1992 Option
Agreements apply to the Company.

          SECTION 1.02 EXTENSION OF OPTIONS AND TIME TO EXERCISE

          (a)  The right of the Optionee to exercise one million (1,000,000) of
               the options granted by the May 13, 1992 Option Agreements is
               hereby extended for an additional 10-year period from the tenth
               anniversary of the Grant Date as that term is defined in the May
               13, 1992 Option Agreements, and the said options shall therefore
               expire on May 13, 2012.

          (b)  The right of the Optionee to exercise four-hundred thousand
               (400,000) of the options granted by the May 13, 1992 Option
               Agreements is hereby extended for an additional 5-year period
               from the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date as that term is
               defined in the May 13, 1992 Option Agreements, and the said
               options shall therefore expire on May 13, 2007.
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          (c)  Pursuant to the terms of the May 13, 1992 Option Agreements, all
               of said options have been fully vested.

          (d)  Pursuant to the terms of the May 13, 1992 Option Agreements, the
               exercise price of said options is $5.00.

          (e)  The Section 3.2 (c) of May 13, 1992 Option Agreements are amended
               to read as follows: "(c) 45 days with respect to options expiring
               prior to 2012 and 90 days with respect to options that expire in
               2012, in each case, after termination of employment of the
               Optionee for any reason other than death, Permanent Disability or
               Retirement; or"

          (f)  Except as specifically set forth herein to the contrary, all
               other terms and conditions of the May 13, 1992 Option Agreements
               shall remain in full force and effect.

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed and delivered by
the parties hereto.

                                                     PRIMEDIA Inc.

                                                     By: /s/ Beverly C. Chell
                                                         -----------------------
                                                     Title: Vice Chairman
                                                            --------------------

          CHARLES G. McCURDY

          /s/ Charles G. McCurdy
          ----------------------

          Taxpayer Identification Number

          ###-##-####<Page>

PRIMEDIA Inc.
745 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10151

                                  April 2, 2001

Beverly C. Chell, Esq.
Vice Chairman, General Counsel
   and Secretary
PRIMEDIA Inc.
745 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10151

Dear Beverly:

The purpose of this letter is to set forth the terms and conditions of certain
aspects of the employment arrangement between PRIMEDIA Inc. (the "Company") and
you (the "Executive").

1.   Effective May 1, 2000, the Executive's base annual salary increased to
     $700,000 and her target bonus percentage under the Executive Incentive
     Compensation Plan (discretionary and non-discretionary together) remained
     at 55% of base annual salary. In addition, the Executive will be eligible
     for an annual discretionary cash bonus of up to $700,000 for superlative
     performance with respect to licensing and international opportunities.

2.   The Executive shall receive a one-time cash payment of $117,600, payable in
     March 2001, in consideration of the cancellation of the Executive's
     participation in the 1998 - 2000 and 1999 -2001 performance cycles under
     the Company's Long Term Performance Plan.

3.   The Executive has been or shall be, as indicated below, at the first date
     stock options are granted to anyone, granted stock options in each of the
     Internet entities listed below (each an "Internet Entity") equal to the
     respective percentage set forth below next to each such Internet Entity of
     the "Fully Diluted Equity" of the Internet Entity. For the purposes hereof,
     Fully Diluted Equity shall mean that number of shares determined by
     multiplying 120% by the actual number of common shares of such Entity
     outstanding excluding all options. All such stock options shall vest in
     accordance with the terms of the applicable stock option agreement.

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<Table>
<Caption>
                                    Percentage of Fully
         Internet Entity                 Diluted Equity
         ------------------         -------------------
         <S>                                 <C>
         Iclick                              .30%     (granted prior to the date hereof)
         HPCi                                .25%
         GR8RIDE                             .25%
         Teen                                .25%
         Baby                                .25%
         Bride                               .25%
         Enthusiast                          .25%     (this may be in each of Outdoor, Craft,
                                                      History, etc, in lieu thereof)
         NYMetro                            .125%
         SoapCity                            .10%     (If the transaction with SONY is consummated)
         Broadband                             1%
</Table>

4.   The per share stock option exercise price for options in the Internet
     Entities shall be $1.00; PROVIDED, however, in the event of a stock split,
     stock dividend, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar
     adjustment in the equity capital of the issuing Internet Entity ("Stock
     Change") which occurred between original formation of the entity in
     question and the date hereof or occurs after the date hereof, the Company
     shall make a corresponding adjustment in the exercise price and the number
     or type of shares applicable to the option to purchase the shares subject
     to the Stock Change. The date of grant for the Internet Entities shall be:

     (a)  with respect to Broadband, the date of grant is May 1, 2000;

     (b)  with respect to NYMetro, the date of grant is March 24, 2000;

     (c)  for SoapCity, the closing date of the venture between Soap Opera
          Digest and Sony's Soapsonline; and

     (d)  with respect to IClick, HPCi, GR8RIDE, Teen, Baby, Bride, and
          Enthusiast, the date of grant is July 28, 1999.

     Vesting on all Internet Entities shall be 25% on the first anniversary of
     the date of grant and 6.25% quarterly thereafter. Unless otherwise provided
     in the plan or agreement pursuant to which the options were granted,
     vesting only occurs during the Executive's continued employment with the
     Company.

5.   In the event that an Internet Entity is in a form other than that of a
     corporation, (such as an LLC, partnership, etc.), then options to acquire
     LLC units, partnership interests, etc., having the same economics and other
     effects as stock options shall be granted.

6.   In recognition of the Executive's service with the Company, the Company
     shall pay to the Executive the following supplemental retirement benefit:
     (a) in the event the event of the Executive's retirement or other
     termination of employment with the Company ("Retirement") at or after age
     65 or in the event of a Change in Control (as hereinafter defined), the
     Executive shall be entitled to an amount equal to $200,000 per annum for

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     the remainder of the Executive's life (the "Supplemental Retirement
     Benefit"); or (b) in the event of the Executive's Retirement between the
     age of 60 and 65, the Supplemental Retirement Benefit shall be reduced by
     7% for each year (prorated to the nearest month) that payments commence
     prior to age 65; provided, however, that if the interest rate on 30-Year
     Treasuries is lower than 6% on the date payments commence, then the 7%
     factor will be actuarially reduced in a consistent manner. The Supplemental
     Retirement Benefit shall be payable monthly in equal installments
     commencing with the first day of the first month following the Executive's
     Retirement. The Company shall provide an example of the Supplemental
     Retirement Benefit to the Executive when requested.

     In the event of the Executive's death prior to the commencement of her
     Supplemental Retirement Benefit, the Executive's spouse shall receive a
     "Supplemental Retirement Death Benefit." The Supplemental Retirement Death
     Benefit shall be calculated as if the Executive had retired on the day
     before the Executive died and had elected a 50% joint and survivor annuity
     benefit. Based on the ages of Executive and her spouse, the joint and
     survivor annuity factor shall be 93%; provided, however, that if the
     interest rate on 30-Year Treasuries is lower than 6% on the date of the
     Executive's death, then the 93% joint survivor annuity factor shall be
     actuarially increased in a consistent manner. The Supplemental Retirement
     Death Benefit shall be payable in equal monthly installments commencing
     with the first day of the first month following the Executive's death and
     ending with the month of the death of the Executive's spouse.

     For purposes this paragraph 6, "Change of Control" shall mean the
     occurrence of the any one of the following events:

     (a)  a transaction or series of related transactions whereby KKR Associates
          and/or its affiliates ("KKR") sells or otherwise disposes of
          beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the
          Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act")) of
          securities of the Company representing 35% or more of the combined
          voting power of all securities of the Company entitled to vote in the
          election of directors of the Company to any single person or group
          (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the 1934 Act, and the
          rules and regulations promulgated thereunder), other than to an
          affiliate of KKR, and in connection with or following such disposition
          such single person or group obtains control of a majority of the seats
          (other than vacant seats) on the Board;

     (b)  the Company adopts any plan of liquidation providing for the
          distribution of all or substantially all of its assets:

     (c)  all of substantially all of the assets or business of the Company is
          disposed of pursuant to a merger, consolidation or other transaction
          (unless the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to such
          merger, consolidation or other transaction beneficially own, directly
          or indirectly, in substantially the same proportion as they owned the
          voting stock of the Company, all of the voting stock or other
          ownership interests of the entity or entity, if any, that succeeded to
          the business of the Company); or

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     (d)  the Company combines with another company and is the surviving
          corporation but, immediately after the combination, the shareholders
          of the Company immediately prior to the combination hold, directly or
          indirectly, 50% or less of the voting stock of the combined company
          (there being excluded from the number of shares held by such
          shareholders, but not from the voting stock of the combined company,
          any shares received by affiliates of such other company in exchange
          for stock of such other company).

7.   With respect to PRIMEDIA stock options, the Executive shall have the right
     to pay the option exercise price by delivering shares of PRIMEDIA common
     stock which the Executive has held for six months or more that have a
     market value (based on the closing price on the trading day preceding the
     date of exercise) equal to the aggregate exercise price of the stock
     options being exercised. It is understood and agreed that other than the
     exercise price all payments required to be made in connection with the
     exercise of a stock option shall be made in cash.

8.   Provided that the exercise of stock options for deferred restricted stock
     units does not result in an earnings charge to the Company's earnings, the
     Executive may, six months prior to the exercise of any exercisable PRIMEDIA
     stock options, elect to exercise the stock options for deferred restricted
     stock units. Upon exercise of the stock options in accordance with stock
     option agreements and the above, the receipt of the shares of common stock
     otherwise issuable upon the exercise of the stock options will be deferred
     in accordance with the Executive's deferral election and a Rabbi Trust
     shall be established for the benefit of the Executive to hold that number
     of shares equal to the number of deferred restricted stock units issued.

9.   Nothing in this letter agreement shall constitute an undertaking by the
     Executive to stay in the Company's employ nor by the Company to continue
     the Executive in its employ.

10.  This letter agreement shall be governed and interpreted and enforced in
     accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements
     made and to be performed in the State of New York. In the event there is a
     dispute under this letter agreement, the parties agree that such dispute
     shall be determined in an arbitration proceeding conducted by the American
     Arbitration Association, and its applicable rules, in New York City. Each
     and every decision of the arbitrators shall be binding on the parties
     hereto.

11.  Any notice required or desired to be served, given or delivered hereunder
     shall be in writing, and shall be deemed to have been validly served, given
     or delivered (a) five business days after deposit in the United States
     mails, with proper postage prepaid, whether by air, first class, registered
     or certified mail; (b) one business day after being deposited with an
     overnight courier with all charges prepaid; or (c) when delivered, if
     hand-delivered by messenger, all of which shall be properly addressed to
     the party to be notified, and sent to the address indicated as follows:

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     If to the Company:         PRIMEDIA Inc.
                                745 Fifth Avenue
                                New York, NY 10151
                                Attn:  Michaelanne Discepolo

     If to the Executive:       To address first above written

     or to such other address as such party may specify to the other in writing
     in accordance with the provisions hereof.

12.  Waiver by either party of a breach of any provision of this letter
     agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver
     of any subsequent breach by such waiving party.

13.  This instrument contains the entire agreement and understanding of the
     parties hereto with respect to the specific matters covered herein and is
     not intended to change or modify any of the terms of any agreement between
     the Executive and the Company except as specifically stated herein. This
     instrument may not be changed except by an agreement in writing signed by
     the Executive and the Company.

Please indicate your agreement with the foregoing terms by executing this letter
agreement in the space indicated below.

                                                  Very truly yours,

                                                  PRIMEDIA Inc.

                                                  By: /s/ Michaelanne Discepolo
                                                     --------------------------
                                                  Title: EVP, Human Resources

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

/s/ Beverly C. Chell
-------------------------------
By:  Beverly C. Chell

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