Wonya Lucas has successfully led a number of entertainment brands, from The Weather Channel to TV One to Hallmark Channel. Some might say her Wonder Women recognition is overdue, but it adds yet another block to the continued build of her impressive personal brand. 

“I am continually impressed and inspired by how thoughtful, transparent and authentic Wonya is as a leader,” said Mike Perry, president and CEO of Hallmark Cards, owner of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks. “She cares deeply about people and leads as much from her heart as she does from her incredibly sharp mind, making her the perfect person to helm Crown Media, a company fundamentally rooted in care and love.”

That’s high praise for Lucas, who as a child set her sights on being a teacher like her mother, Rubye. Watching her mom work impressed upon her the impact teachers can have, Lucas said. Television further broadened her horizons. 

“Growing up we never left the South, so television took me to places that I couldn’t go to physically and introduced me to people that I didn’t see every day,” she said.

After graduating from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Lucas had her mind set on a career in media. A job interview at consumer product company Clorox changed her perspective. 

“They had a position on the entertainment side, but they said to me that while you can always go into the entertainment business, you could never come into the packaged goods business without a marketing background,” she said. “Come learn the nuts and bolts of marketing and then decide what you want to do. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Moving Into Media

She became a brand manager at Clorox and Coca-Cola, learning important operational and leadership skills. In 1994, she had the chance to enter the media business at Turner Broadcasting System, where her mother was then working. 

“She was working in community affairs, so I worked there to see if I really wanted to go into the media industry and I loved it,” Lucas said. 

Lucas — whose Turner family ties also include her uncle, baseball icon Hank Aaron, who played for the Turner-owned Atlanta Braves ­­— would remain there through 2002, ascending to VP of business operations and network development for TNT and TBS and senior VP of strategic marketing for CNN.

Her father, Bill Lucas, was also in baseball and was a career role model. He was VP of player personnel for the Braves from 1976 until his death in 1979, becoming the first African-American executive to run a Major League Baseball team. 

“I wanted to be a general manager like my dad and run a business,” Lucas said.

Lucas would get that opportunity in 2002 as executive VP and general manager of The Weather Channel. “The Weather Channel was when I really shifted into a general manager’s role,” she said. “I loved The Weather Channel and I really learned how to lead.”

Learning How To Lead

She fine-tuned her leadership skills over the next 12 years, in such roles as Discovery Communications chief marketing officer, president and CEO of TV One and president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Atlanta.

In 2020 came the opportunity to run Crown Media, home to one of the most well-known brands in the country, Hallmark Channel. At the time, it was dealing with a very public brand controversy around the lack of diversity and inclusion both on- and off-screen, but Lucas said she was not afraid to meet the challenge head-on. 

“My whole career has been working on great brands, and I saw the potential in the brand to be more,” she said. “I watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies and I remember seeing Black actors in prominent roles — they were inclusive before I even knew what that word was. It was just a matter of mirroring the brand with initial intent and purpose to be inclusive, whether you’re talking about the [Hallmark] card brand or the media brand. So I saw it as a great opportunity and I felt like there was a lot of room to grow.”

Lucas said the best job title she’s ever had is mom to her two daughters. “I have also been fortunate to have had bosses who understood that [motherhood] is my No. 1 job,” she added. 

As for career advice, Lucas said try to work at something that you love, and then position yourself to leverage your best skills within that company. You see, she has never lost the desire to be a teacher.  ■ 

Development executives Jennifer Kramer and Heather Overton have been named VP of development for Crown Media Family Networks, specializing in the holiday movies that have scored big ratings for both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, whose respective Christmas-themed holiday movie marathons began before Halloween.

Kramer and Overton are based in Hallmark’s Studio City, California, offices, reporting to senior VP, development Samantha DiPippo.

The promotions come as Crown restructures its programming department and looks to branch out into new on-brand genres. The new structure will put physical production under Randy Pope, senior VP of programming and development; scheduling under Darren Melameth, senior VP, programming and content strategy; and will organize content development according to four areas: holiday movies under DiPippo; non-holiday movies under Elizabeth Yost, senior VP, development; series and specials headed by Laurie Ferneau, senior VP, development; and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Mahogany under Toni Judkins, SVP, programming development. (Mahogany is Hallmark’s greeting-card line brand targeted to Black consumers.)

“Our volume and range of content has grown exponentially over the past several years, and reorganizing the structure of our team is essential to streamlining the development and production process,” executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly said. “It enables us to create more of the programming that resonates so deeply with our viewers, while also branching out into new genres that align with and bring the Hallmark brand to life in new ways.”

Crown Media has struck a deal with YouTube TV to launch its suite of networks on the streaming service.

YouTube TV already streams the company's VOD offering, Hallmark Movies Now, as an option, but it will now offer Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama over the top.

The move comes as Hallmark continues to score with its Countdown to Christmas marathon that began even before Halloween.

“Our content, rooted in celebration, joy, optimism, and human connection, has never been more in demand, and we are confident the addition of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama adds tremendous value to YouTube TV’s offerings and will be instant favorites among subscribers,” Crown Media president Wonya Lucas said.

“We’re excited to partner with Crown Media Family Networks to deliver all three of Hallmark’s linear channels to our YouTube TV members, including Hallmark Channel,” said Paul Snow, co-head of YouTube TV content partnerships. “We know that our members love this content, and it's the perfect time to introduce these channels to YouTube TV as we head into the holiday season.”

Crown Media will create a slate of films targeted to African-American audiences under its Hallmark greeting card brand, the company said Wednesday.

Toni Judkins, senior VP of programming development for Crown Media, will spearhead the initiative, which will launch in 2022 as a quarterly slate of original movies airing on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries under the Mahogany brand, which is rooted in the three decade-old, Hallmark greeting card line of the same name, said company officials. Crown plans to eventually expand the initiative into scripted series and podcasts. 

Also Read: Telling Stories Sans Stereotype 

“This launch marks a pivotal moment in our evolution as we continue to bring the Hallmark brand to life in new ways,” Crown Media President & CEO Wonya Lucas said in a statement. “In addition, it’s a huge step forward in our mission to deliver more diverse, inclusive content representing various cultures and perspectives that resonates with our current audience and attracts new viewers.” 

Added Judkins: “Mahogany is an expression of all the love, joy, and complexities that emerge from the distinctive journey of Black people. It is a dream realized to create a content experience around this Hallmark brand that honors, empowers, and authentically captures Black culture and amplifies our voice.”

Also Read: Crown Media Debuts Countdown to Christmas Widget 

Crown Media has updated its Hallmark Movie Checklist app to include a countdown widget.

The countdown clock will end with the season's first Hallmark Holiday original movie Oct. 22, then reset to countdown to Christmas Day.

Tap the widget and it takes the user to the Movie Checklist app on Android and iOS devices.

The app update was unveiled during Hallmark Channel's Christmas in July programming stunt.

Also Read: Hallmark Movies: Everything You Need to Know About the Middle America-targeted Brand's Quest to Take Over Video Streaming

Crown also added an "upcoming" widget to the checklist app, which provides the entire Hallmark linear schedule--Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama--including notations for titles that have been selected by users as their "favorites" and "want to watch."

What’s more, the app also launched an Upcoming Widget that offers the entire Hallmark linear schedule -- across Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama -- on a user’s home screen, featuring titles that users have selected as “Favorites” and “Want to Watch.”

Longtime Crown Media programming and production executive Michelle Vicary will leave her position at the beginning of June, the network said Monday.

Vicary has served as executive VP of programming for Crown Media Networks since 2011, overseeing production and original programming for all of Crown Media’s platforms, including Hallmark Channel, according to the company. She was instrumental in developing such Hallmark scripted series as When Calls the Heart, Good Witch and Chesapeake Shores.

Crown Media has named Randy Pope, senior VP of programming and development, and Darren Melameth, senior VP, programming and content strategy, as interim co-leads while searching for a replacement, said Crown Media Family Networks CEO Wonya Lucas.

“We thank Michelle for her contributions to the growth and success of our networks and for helping to bring the quintessential Hallmark brand to life,” Lucas said in a statement. “We appreciate the passion and effort she has  brought to our team and to the company.”

Crown Media earlier this month named veteran programming executive Toni Judkins as its senior VP, programming and development for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Also Read: Telling Stories Sans Stereotype

Crown Media Family Networks has appointed veteran programming executive Toni Judkins as senior VP, programming and development for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the company said Monday.

Judkins, who will report to Crown Media executive VP of programming Michelle Vicary, will oversee the development and production of original content that explores diverse, character-driven stories, said Hallmark. Prior to joining Hallmark, Judkins ran her own production company Moxy Media, and before that served as TV One executive VP, programming and production.

“This is an incredibly pivotal, exciting time in the evolution of our programming footprint; recruiting Toni is a reflection of our continued commitment to meaningfully branching out in our storytelling and characters,” Vicary said in a statement. “Toni’s background in creating and producing a wide variety of content that appeals to both broad and niche audiences will play an important role as we continue to explore new and more varied ways of bringing Hallmark’s signature brand of content to life.”

Also Read: Crown Media Names Josef Robey Director of VOD Product

Hallmark also promoted Jessica Callahan to VP programming for the network. Formerly director of programming and development, Callahan will be responsible for piloting original programs and movies through every step of the development and production process, and will contribute to the development and execution of broad content strategies for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, said the company

Vicary said: “Having worked for a decade as a production executive on the Hallmark Hall of Fame team prior to joining Crown Media, Jessica has a deep understanding of our unique, brand-driven approach to positive, heartfelt programming. Over the last five years, her talent, creative instincts, vitality, and humor have made her an integral and extremely well-liked member of the programming team, and I look forward to watching her continued growth and professional development with this well-deserved promotion.”

Also Read: Crown Media Launches Hallmark’s First AVOD Channel on Xumo

Crown Media has revealed some debut dates for new content, including the latest season of The Good Witch on Hallmark Channel.

The announcement was made in association with the winter Television Critics Association press tour.

The seventh season of The Good Witch, based on the channel's popular movie series, premieres Sunday, May 16, a 9 p.m., with Catherine Bell returning as Cassie Nightengale and James Denton as Dr. Sam Radford.

The Good Witch is a Whizbang Films Production in association with ITV Studios America.

Also Read: Hallmark Movies and More Arrives on Roku Live TV Channel

Hallmark Channel has also announced five new original movies for its "Spring Fling," a series of Saturday night (9 p.m.) movies beginning with Chasing Waterfalls March 20, followed by Breakup Bootcamp (March 27), One Perfect Wedding (April 3), As Luck Would Have It (April 10), and (working title) Me (April 17).

Finally, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: How to Con a Con debuts March 14 (Sunday, 8 p.m.), and Mystery 101: Killer Timing premiers Sunday, March 21, at 8 p.m.

Crown Media has named Josef Robey director of video on demand products.

Based in Los Angeles, he will oversee digital production for Hallmark Movies Now and live streaming and on demand application, Hallmark TV.

Hallmark Movies Now, which launched in 2017, last fall topped the one million paid subs mark at a price of $5.99 per month.

Also Read: Crown Media Launches First AVOD Channel

Robey reports to VP of digital Josie Ventura.

Robey most recently has been a product development consultant for digital startups. Before that he was executive director of product at Disney/ABC Television Group.

Also Read: Hallmark Movies Now Surpasses 1 Million Subscribers

His resume also includes digital video posts at Viacom (director of digital strategy, business development and distribution), NBC-Owned TV Stations (director of digital distribution and emerging platforms), and in product integration at AOL and labor relations and PR at Napster.

Crown Media continues to expand the streaming reach of its wildly popular Hallmark brand, announcing a deal to put a free-to-consumer Hallmark channel on the ad-supported video-on-demand platform Xumo.

The so-called "Hallmark Movies & More" channel represents Crown Media’s first AVOD partnership. The channel will offer a “curated sampling of original content” from the Hallmark library of holiday- and romance-themed movies and specials. 

Also read: Hallmark Movies: Everything You Need to Know About the Middle-America-targeted Brand's Quest to Take Over Video Streaming

Quietly launched in November, Hallmark Movies & More has featured Crown titles including For Love and Honor, starring Rebecca Liddiard, James Denton and Natalie Brown; Once Upon a Winter’s Date, headlined by Nicky Whelan, Greg Vaughan Marina Sirtis; and Pumpkin Pie Wars, starring Eric Aragon and Julie Gonzalo.

Hallmark announced last month that it’s subscription video-on-demand play, Hallmark Movies Now, surpassed 1 million users. 

Also read: Hallmark Movies Now Surpasses 1 Million Subscribers

Xumo said in October that it’s been averaging around 24 million active users since January, making it one of the more widely distributed AVOD platforms. 

“In partnering with Xumo, we are creating yet another access point for new audiences to discover, sample, and enjoy our signature brand of feel-good programming,” said Erin McIlvain, executive VP of content strategy & distribution for Crown Media Family Networks. “Our foray into the AVOD space is an important step in our ongoing mission to maximize distribution of our content and attract new fans to our flagship linear channels and digital services.”

Added Stefan Van Engen, senior VP of programming and partnerships at Xumo: “Crown Media’s Hallmark brand is synonymous with tremendous quality, and will add greatly to our line-up of family-friendly providers. Hallmark Movies & More is bringing high caliber, flagship programming to millions of Xumo viewers who can now enjoy its library of fan favorites across our entire distribution network, which kicks off with the popular, upcoming holiday season.”

Crown Media announced Monday that its three-year-old SVOD service, Hallmark Movies Now, has surpassed 1 million paid subscribers. 

Hallmark Movies Now charges subscribers $5.99 a month for full access to the programing libraries of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Hall of Fame, plus some original content. 

Also Read: Hallmark Movies: Everything You Need to Know About the Middle-America-targeted Brand's Quest to Take Over Video Streaming

Crown credits its annual “Movies & Mistletoe” programming event for driving subscription streaming signups. Each week starting in late October through the New Year, the platform posts a refreshed offering of movies from Crown Media’s large library of holiday programming, featuring more than 80 holiday-themed films. 

Crown Media said that since the 2020 iteration of “Movies & Mistletoe” launched Oct. 23, Hallmark Movies Now app installs have increased by 128%.

Holy Emotional Blood Sugar Spikes, Batman

When “Movies & Mistletoe” wraps up at the end of next month, Hallmark Movies Now will launch season seven of popular Hallmark Movies original series When Calls the Heart, dropping episodes weekly up until the linear Hallmark Channel launches season eight of the show in February. 

Hallmark Movies Now will drop the first three episodes of When Calls the Heart on New Year’s Day, with the remaining seven episodes rolling out one at a time each Friday thereafter. Also the day after Christmas, subscribers can stream the 2019 holiday-themed special episode When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas. 

Also Read: Hallmark Movies Now Launched On YouTube TV

Hallmark Movies Now is supported by Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, as well as through pay TV wholesale agreements with Comcast, AT&T, Dish Network, Cox Communications and Frontier. 

Notably, Crown Media doesn't list Chromecast or Android TV as among the supported platforms. But last week, Crown did announce that Google’s YouTube TV is also now distributing the service. 

Crown Media Family Networks said that its subscription video on demand service, Hallmark Movies Now, has become available via YouTube TV.

YouTube TV subscribers can get Hallmark Movies Now as an add-on option for $5.99 a month, following a seven-day free trial.

The offering comes as the holiday season approaches, along with the service’s Movies and Mistletoe event chockablock with Christmas-themed content.

Also Read: Allison Bennett Upped at Crown Media

Launched in 2017, Hallmark Movies Now, provides access to nearly 1,000 hours of commercial-free Hallmark branded original content. 

Hallmark Movies Now is also available on iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire platforms.

Allison Bennett, director of corporate communications and media relations for Crown Media Family Networks (Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama), has been named VP, corporate communications and publicity.

Bennett is based in New York, reporting to chief communications officer Annie Howell.

Bennett expands her purview to include increased oversight of talent relations and events and will handle all budgeting for corporate communications and publicity.

Bennett has been with Crown Media since 2011. Her resume includes stints at TV Guide and MTV.

“Allison is a hugely talented strategist, writer and communicator, and she has established herself as an invaluable member of the Crown Media team,” said Howell.

As a strong upfront wraps up, one of the smallest cable programmers might have gotten the biggest greeting from advertisers.

Crown Media, which runs the Hallmark Channels, posted a double-digit increase in dollar volume while at the same time holding out for — and getting — double-digit increases in prices.

The warm reception came even though its upfront dinner in March was snowed out.

“Despite the snowstorm, I think our message got through,” Ed Georger, Crown’s executive vice president for ad sales, said. Crown’s upfront sales “reflect that our advertising partners believe in what we’re doing.”

The upfront’s results can be hard to gauge. Most networks won’t talk about ad sales, except on earnings calls. Even when sales executives like Georger speak on the record, they rarely offer precise numbers.

Turning Up the Volume

Cable-network volume rose by 4.7% to $11.1 billion, per preliminary estimates from Market Dynamics. The price to reach adults in 30-second spots rose 9.7% to a $17.49 cost per thousand viewers (CPM).

“I think linear television still continues to deliver for a lot of marketers,” Georger said. “Perhaps it’s got something to do with brand safety or some of the cautionary tales that we’ve heard about some of the other platforms.”

Unlike most networks, Crown Media’s Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries are growing their viewership, giving them more ratings points to sell. It has also been increasing its original programming, with more than 100 original movies on its slate in addition to its three series.

Hallmark Channel’s strategy of programming toward the holidays helps make it the top-rated cable channel during the fourth quarter, when advertisers are seeking Christmas season sales. It also provides hooks for advertisers who want to make their commercial messages relevant around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or wedding season in June.

For its daytime show, Home & Family, the house on the Universal Studios lot that serves as a set is being renovated, and several advertisers have signed on as sponsors. “We’ve also created a Dream Holiday Home Decorating Contest,” Georger said. “Those are a couple of new opportunities that brought value to the marketplace.”

Even with the double-digit increases in prices, Georger said the Hallmark Channels are still a bargain relative to other networks. “We are still undervalued in the market, but it’s great to see our partners recognizing our success and rewarding us, not only incumbent business but some new categories as well,” he said.

Fresh advertiser categories on Hallmark include theatrical films, imported autos and quick service restaurants.

Georger didn’t think that Crown Media’s lack of scale was a problem in the upfront. “We pride ourselves on being very nimble,” he said. “Bill Abbott is right down the hall, and he’s our CEO who used to be in ad sales. We can work through our company very quickly.

“Bigger companies have a lot of goals, strategies and objectives, and some of them conflict,” he added. “We were complimented often on the process of negotiating with Crown Media, this year in particular.”

With its rising ratings, Crown Media didn’t push for new metrics or the fancy data being pushed by programmers like Turner.

But according to people familiar with the situation, Turner was able to achieve its objective of getting more of its advertising clients to put money into campaigns based on data-driven target audiences instead of the traditional age and gender demographics.

Targeted Spending Rises

Turner clients committed to spending five times as much on target audience-based campaigns in this year’s upfront, compared with a year ago.

Clients also increased their commitments to Turner’s digital platforms, including video-on-demand and over-the-top.

Turner parent Time Warner was recently acquired by AT&T, which has ambitious plans to use the programmer’s data to boost the yield on Turner’s ads.

From a traditional point of view, Turner got higher prices for advertising, garnering low double-digit gains, and an increase in dollar volume in the low-to-mid-single digits.

On its earnings call last week, AMC said it collected high single-digit price increases in its upfront sales.

“We saw healthy demand and healthy volume across all of our networks,” chief operating officer Ed Carroll said. He noted that this year’s market moved quickly for AMC.

“It was as fast as any in recent memory and I think a contributing factor to that was an eagerness among advertisers to get their money down next to quality content,” Carroll said.

Advertisers were also taking advantage of AMC’s audience targeting system, which clients in the auto, quick-service restaurant and movie businesses signed up for during the upfront. “We are finding that our proprietary advanced data platform is effective for us, particularly in increasing volume among our highest-CPM advertisers,” he said.

Skinny bundles, Title II and 5G were nowhere to be found.

The most widely read story on MCN in 2017 was Hearst stations going dark on DirectTV, followed by the House vote to scrap privacy rules and Crown Media’s decision to launch a new linear channel.

Here’s a closer look at the most engaging stories on the list:

1. Hearst Stations Dark on DirecTV

2. House Votes to Repeal FCC Privacy Rules

3. TCA17: Crown Media to Launch Hallmark Drama Cable Network

4. Comcast Starts to Deploy 4K/HDR X1 Box

5. What A&E Wants You to Know About ‘Live PD’

6. Charter Targets Cord-Cutters With ‘Spectrum TV Stream’

7. Comcast Won't Authenticate Subs for New Starz App

8. Hallmark Drama Channel Launches Into Headwinds for Linear Networks

9. Comcast Opens Access to Fire TV, Fire TV Stick

10. Verizon Dropping Its Email Business

Upstart network Hallmark Drama has reached a distribution agreement with Dish Network, according to network executives.

The agreement puts the service --which launched on Oct. 1 and features a mix of acquired content and Hallmark-themed original movies -- in nearly 10 million households, according to network officials. 

RELATED: Hallmark Drama Channel Launches Into Headwinds For Linear Networks

Crown Media Family Networks executive vice president of strategy and distribution Erin McIlvain told Multichannel News that the network has been well received by distributors, although she would not comment on any potential future deals.

“Overwhelmingly we’ve received positive feedback from distributors,” she said. “I think that’s based on our brand and the value proposition that they know we bring.” 

Even as pay TV operators mull removing channels from the traditional cable bundle, Crown Media Networks hopes Sunday’s (Oct. 1) launch of new linear channel Hallmark Drama shows there’s still life in the old bundle.

Hallmark Drama, like its sister networks Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, will offer a mix of acquired content and Hallmark-themed originals aimed at fans of the brand, according to Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott.

Related: Why Hallmark Is Betting It Can Create a New Cable Network

Abbott said Hallmark Drama will not feature any programming currently airing on Hallmark or Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, drawing instead on Crown Media’s library of original movies and series, including decades of “Hallmark Hall of Fame” films.

Distribution deals with several undisclosed pay TV providers will put Hallmark Drama in 5 million households at launch, the company said. Sister network Hallmark Movies & Mysteries deals do not include a license fee, according to industry sources, though Abbott and Crown officials would not discuss carriage terms, citing confidentiality.

“We still have quite a few deals that we have to complete and we will have significant distribution by first quarter 2018,” Abbott said.

Hallmark Drama follows another recent, sizable linear channel launch: NBCUniversal’s July debut of the Olympic Channel. Overall, though, channel launches run against the trend of distributors dropping networks where possible in an effort to offer cheaper, slimmed-down cable packages to consumers.

Abbott said there’s still appeal in the traditional cable bundle and is pitching Hallmark Drama as adding value to distributor packages.

“It’s our view that the ecosystem is still very strong and the big package of multiple cable networks is still a value and provides a great television option,” he said. “The skinny bundle is great if you’re maybe a single person or not that big a fan of TV, but if you’re in a household with more than one person and those people have a variety of interests, the skinny bundle doesn’t do it.”

Hallmark Channel has enjoyed strong ratings momentum, finishing among the top 15 cable networks in primetime during the third quarter of 2017, averaging 884,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. That was more than the 813,000 viewers posted during the second quarter, Nielsen said.

Hallmark will also step into the OTT arena Oct. 10 with the debut of the Hallmark Movies Now subscription streaming service. The offering, which will cost $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year, will also feature unduplicated content.

“For the passionate Hallmark fan who is engaged toward our content in a big way, we’re offering the service as an add-on that really punches up their engagement with Hallmark and [lets them] experience content they won’t see on the other three Hallmark services,” he said.

Crown Media Family Networks said it's named Erin McIlvain as executive vice president, content distribution and strategy, reporting to CEO Bill Abbott and based in Denver. She comes from Charter Communications, where she was VP of broadcast relations and programming, to a newly created position where she is responsible is for aligning business development efforts with the distribution of Crown Media’s original content across multiple platforms and where her oversight includes forging and cultivating strategic partnerships that will generate untapped distribution opportunities. The hire comes in the context of longtime EVP of business affairs and general counsel Charlie Stanford's retirement, Crown said. 

“As viewing habits continue to evolve, it became overwhelmingly evident that we needed someone in a position dedicated to optimizing delivery of our high rated, high profile original content across all platforms,” Abbott said in a release. “Erin’s familiarity with today’s complex ecosystem and its many moving pieces, as well as her strong strategic instincts, make her the ideal candidate to lead the charge in this increasingly important area for our business.”

Crown Media CFO Andy Rooke also is adding operations to his title, and Casey Gould has been promoted to vice president of advertising and digital sales from director, advertising sales.

Hallmark Inc., has proposed buying the nearly 10% of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Holdings it doesn’t already own in a deal valued at $175 million. If completed, the deal would effectively take public traded Crown private.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Hallmark said it has decided to purchase the remaining interest in Crown for $5.05 per share, a 2.4% premium to its $4.93 per share price on March 8.

Investors appeared pleased, driving Crown shares above the offering price on Wednesday – the stock was priced at $5.10 each at 11:30 a.m.  

Hallmark has had a rocky relationship with minority shareholders over the years. In 2009, minority shareholder S. Muoio & Associates sued the card company after it proposed a recapitalization plan that gave Hallmark a 90.3% interest in the programmer. That suit was dismissed in 2011.

Hallmark would complete the purchase through a short-form merger process which it says will give minority shareholders better liquidity and allow Hallmark to realize benefits from its ownership of Crown that are unavailable to it while Crown remains a public company with minority stockholders. Following the merger, Hallmark said it intends to operate Crown and use its own Hallmark brand  to strengthen the TV brand across all of the Hallmark businesses.

“Hallmark also intends to strengthen the link between Crown’s channels and Hallmark’s businesses,” the company said in a statement. “With Crown as a wholly-owned subsidiary, Hallmark will be able to control Crown’s content decisions and potential monetization paths, and will have greater flexibility to respond to the many risks and challenges of the rapidly changing cable and entertainment landscape and protect its substantial investment in Crown.”

As the owner of 90.3% of Crown, Hallmark said it does not need the approval or the board or of minority shareholders to complete the deal. The company said it intends to keep Crown Media’s existing management.

Crown Media is planning an upfront event for the Hallmark Channels on March 30 at New York’s Famed Rainbow room.

In the last few years, Crown has sat down with buyers on a more individual basis and held press events to publicize its upcoming programming.

Also planning an upfront event this year after several years of smaller meetings is Comedy Central, with an event scheduled for March 31, while A+E Networks, which has held upfront events in early May the last few years, this season plans to pitch its networks at meetings and dinners with individual agencies.

Upfront events kick off Wednesday with Nickelodeon presenting at Lincoln Center in New York.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Hallmark Cards said it has reached an agreement with Crown Media Holdings for the Hallmark Channel to become the producer and new home for the Hallmark Hall of Fame television series. Crown Media Holdings operates and distributes Hallmark Channel to more than 90 million subscribers in the United States.

As part of this agreement, Crown Media Productions, the in-house production unit of Crown Media, will develop and produce future Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. Hallmark Cards will continue to sponsor the series and will remain involved in the creative process, including approving scripts.

“The Hallmark Hall of Fame has been one of our brand’s most valuable assets and will celebrate its 65th anniversary this year,” said Hallmark CEO Donald J. Hall, Jr. in a statement.  “Hallmark Channel has become a leading destination for quality, family-friendly programming and is where Hallmark Hall of Fame viewers expect to find our programs. Hallmark Channel’s experience creating engaging, original content and their outstanding production capabilities make Hallmark Channel the perfect new home.”

The Hallmark Hall of Fame debuted on Christmas Eve 1951 and has had more than 255 broadcasts to date. The series has earned 81 Emmys and nine Golden Globes and 64 Academy Award-winning actors have appeared in Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations.

“We are thrilled to continue the successful legacy of the Hallmark Hall of Fame,” said Crown Media Family Networks CEO Bill Abbott in a statement. “For the past year, Hallmark Channel has premiered Hallmark Hall of Fame movies and now, with Crown Media Productions, we will have the opportunity to play a greater role in continuing the Hallmark Hall of Fame tradition.” 

Hallmark Channel’s daytime series Home & Family will air new episodes for a complete calendar year, the network said Thursday.

Hallmark will air 260 original episodes of the Emmy nominated, two-hour original series over the next year, the first time the show has put together 52 straight weeks of new original shows, said network officials.

The Home & Family series, co-hosted by Mark Steines & Cristina Ferrare, provides viewers with innovative home ideas and improvements, as well as the latest information, trends and products for the home.

“Home & Family is a true standout – unlike anything else on television — and we are incredibly proud of this show,” said Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of programming for Crown Media Family Networks. “Our viewers have asked for more episodes and we are happy to deliver.”