Crown Media Family Networks is changing its name to Hallmark Media. 

The corporate home of G-rated networks Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama is making the move to more align with parent Hallmark Cards.

"The iconic Hallmark brand and our purpose-driven mission to help people live caring, connected lives full of meaningful moments will drive everything we do," said Wonya Lucas, president & CEO, Hallmark Media, in a statement. "The beloved Hallmark brand is associated with positivity, kindness, celebrations, and traditions—all of which are the underpinnings of our content and core values. With these attributes as our foundation, it only makes sense that our company name lead with the Hallmark brand."

The announcement came Wednesday ahead of the company's Television Critics Association summer press tour presentation.

Hallmark Media brands also include streaming service Hallmark Movies Now.

"Admittedly, as a true brand nerd, it is meaningful to have the Hallmark name front and center. No more saying 'Crown Media, the home of Hallmark Channel' like I have said a few times today and every day," said Lucas during the company's TCA executive session Wednesday. "When you say Hallmark, no caveats or home-of references are required. People know what they're getting."

Hallmark Media is also looking to bring additional Hallmark Cards IP to the screen. Mahogany-branded content is the first initiative under this effort. Mahogany's Unthinkably Good Things premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries August 28. 

Fun fact: Hallmark owns Crayola. Yes, the crayons. A partnership between Hallmark Media and Crayola is in the works.

The family oriented company has faced increasing competition in the space. Former Hallmark Channel head Bill Abbott bought Great American Country and Ride TV last year. Abbott has since transformed the networks into Great American Family and Great American Living. He has also followed the same programming playbook as Hallmark, producing holiday themed content and poaching familiar Hallmark faces, including Candace Cameron Bure. ■

Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated Lacey Chabert had signed with Abbott's Great American Media when she has signed an exclusive deal with Hallmark.

There is a real dismissiveness around what women like, what they think about, what they talk about and how they talk about it,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, who, as executive VP of programming at Crown Media Family Networks, strives to find the type of content that connects with a mass female audience. 

“Women of a certain age, who like a certain thing and who clearly want to be engaged emotionally in their programming are who we target,” she said. “So, to dismiss something simply as a Hallmark or a Lifetime movie — sentimental, dramatic, emotional and not rational, for example — only magnifies my desire to prove the value and the importance of this format.” 

Also: Wonder Women of Los Angeles 2022: Hollywood Heroes

Daly came to Crown Media after a successful three-year stint at Netflix, where she was brought in to develop “Hallmark-type” programs, including the hit drama Virgin River. Daly’s role at Crown Media Family Networks (Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama and the Hallmark Movies Now subscription VOD service) is to build on programming strategy and options, attract new audiences across the various platforms and diversify the talent pool, all while staying true to the family-themed, women-centric brand.

“Male critics tend to not like emotionality or melodrama,” she said. “But my feeling is a massive hit show like Game of Thrones is really just a big soap opera. There is a long critical tradition in our community that sort of denigrates emotionality, where the assumption is you are thinking with your emotions and with your feelings, and those things are considered to be less valuable. But my taste is very wide-ranging, and while I might have a ‘fancy’ degree and I watch a lot of ‘fancy’ television, I also have a real sense for what can hit you emotionally.”

A top priority for Daly is to make Hallmark Channel’s storytelling and casting more diverse, she said. “We want to make sure we are telling everyone’s stories — the friendship, the love and the happy endings — all while being reflective of the world we live in.”

After graduate school and while working part-time at a library, Daly took internships for a few film companies, an early entry into the media field. Her first job in the business was at superagent Michael Ovitz’s company, Artist Management Group, in the book division.

“I initially started out wanting to be a writer, and I went to journalism school, Northwestern, for a couple of years,” Daly noted. “Then I realized maybe I did not want to major in journalism.” She eventually earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English and American literature and language from Harvard University, in addition to a B.A. in English literature from UCLA.

After Artist Management Group came a film- and television-focused publishing role at HarperCollins, which led to a five-year stint at DreamWorks, first in New York and then in Los Angeles. There she worked directly with Steven Spielberg, among others, to navigate the vision for future projects and content. 

Daly arrived at A+E Networks, Lifetime specifically, as VP of programming in 2011. In 2018, she segued to Netflix, developing and producing female-driven dramas like Sweet Magnolias, Firefly Lane and the aformentioned Virgin River, shows with multiple seasons that continue to evolve.

Seeking Positive Connections

“We are in a moment of time culturally where there are so many awful things going on in the world that I think people want to find refuge and calm, they want a happy ending, and they want to be connected emotionally in a positive way,” Daly said. “At the core of it, you are really dealing with feelings rather than some intellectual response to something. And I think one of the strengths at Netflix, which I remain true to in how I do my job today, is understanding that not every program has to be super-highbrow.

“For me, the most exciting part of whatever I do is seeing that people are watching and enjoying our programming,” she added. “Being chosen as a Wonder Woman this year only validates my goal of making culture and connecting with the audience. Big ratings and big numbers make me happy, of course. But it really is more about actually experiencing the response from the audience.” ▪️

Multichannel News senior content producer R. Thomas Umstead talks to actress, producer, singer, author and philanthropist Holly Robinson Peete on the heels of her recent multi-picture deal with Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks.

Crown Media Family Networks said it has signed up to get ad measurement data from iSpot.TV, which verifies and measures commercial impressions on a second-by-second basis.

Crown Media said it will use the data to track attention and interruption rates on its networks, which include Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama.

Also: The Front-Runner: How iSpot Became a Favorite To Claim Nielsen’s Measurement Crown

“Leveraging iSpot provides powerful insight by allowing us to home in on the real-time performance of ads on our networks,” said Ed Georger, executive VP, ad sales & digital media at Crown Media. “This tool increases our ability to plan and strategize in a way that optimizes the reach and value of our networks for marketers.”

According to iSpot, Hallmark Channel delivered the most household ad impressions of any cable network in the fourth quarter.

Also: Ho Ho Ho! Holiday Programming Paid Off for Hallmark, NBC, Freeform

“Crown Media now has access to evidence for how much reach and attention it delivers advertisers and can use this information to foster much more compelling, fact-based discussions with agencies and brand partners than if it were simply trying to tell a program ratings story,” said Stuart Schwartzapfel, senior VP of media partnerships. “This deal is a great example of how incorporating modern measurement can be a game changer for the buy and sell side virtually over night.” ■

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.  ■ 

After losing several familiar faces to its former head, Crown Media Family Networks said it signed actress Lacey Chabert to an exclusive overall deal to star in, develop and produce content for the Hallmark channels over the next two years.

Chabert has proved to be a fan favorite for Crown Media, starring in many movies on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Most recently, she developed, executive produced, and starred in the Wedding Veil trilogy, a new movie series for Hallmark Channel.

 “Lacey’s warmth, talent, relatability, and creative sensibilities have endeared her to millions of Hallmark viewers for more than ten years, making her one of our most in-demand stars,” remarked Lisa Hamilton Daly, executive VP, programming at Crown Media Family Networks. “In addition to shining on screen, Lacey is a prolific behind-the-scenes creative partner, developing and executive producing many of our highest-quality, most-beloved projects. She inherently understands and embodies what our networks are all about – the transformational power of love and making people feel good – and we look forward to continuing our work with her to create heartfelt, compelling stories that will entertain, inspire, and touch our audience.” 

Signing Chabert appears to be at least partly a response to competition from Bill Abbott, who after running the Hallmark Channel for years, in 2021 formed GAC Media as a family-friendly rival to Hallmark Channel, complete with a calendar full of holiday movies starring faces familiar to Hallmark viewers.

Also: Ho Ho Ho! Holiday Programming Paid Off for Hallmark, NBC, Freeform 

“My experience at Hallmark, a home to me for over ten years now, has been wonderful and it’s beyond rewarding to create characters and develop stories that resonate so strongly with viewers,” Chabert said. “I’m also incredibly grateful to Crown’s programming team for supporting me as a producer and empowering me to develop and star in projects that bring my passion and creative vision to life. I am so excited for what’s next and to continue connecting with Hallmark’s audience.”

Abbott in October signed an exclusive four-picture deal with Danica McKellar to appear and executive produce original films for cable network GAC Family and its sister channel GAC Living. Her first GAC film, The Winter Place had its premiere in January. For Hallmark, McKellar starred in made for TV movies including You, Me and the Christmas Tree.

Also: Former Hallmark Head Bill Abbott Unwraps GAC’s Holiday Expectations

Trevor Donovan, who starred in a dozen Hallmark movies, also signed with GAC in October. He appeared in GAC’s Jingle Bell Christmas in December.

In January, Jen Lilley, who did a number of holiday movies for Hallmark, signed a deal to do four GAC films.

GAC Family kicked off its first holiday season with Welcome to Great American Christmas, headlined by Cameron Mathison and Debbie Matenopoulos, who had been the hosts of Home & Family, the daily daytime show that was canceled by Hallmark.

GAC also grabbed season two of When Hope Calls. Season one of the series appeared on Hallmark Channel. GAC also announced that Hallmark Channel favorite Lori Loughlin — now notorious because of the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal — would be a guest star on the series, playing her character from Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart.

Other Hallmark stars appearing in GAC films include Nick Bateman, Rukiya Bernard, Cindy Busby, Sara Canning, Dillon Casey, Torrance Coombs, Trevor Donovan, Brendan Fehr, Jennie Garth, Maggie Lawson, Jen Lilley, Sarah Lind, Daniel Lissing, Jessica Lowndes, Matthew MacCaull, Chad Michael Murray, Sam Page, Merritt Patterson, Christopher Russell, Becca Tobin, Jill Wagner and Dewshane Williams.

Several key Crown Media executives have also jumped to Abbott’s team at GAC. ■

Crown Media Family Networks has hired industry veteran Judi Lopez as its executive VP of distribution and content strategy, and also announced the promotion of three distribution executives. 

Lopez, an industry veteran with more than 30 years in the cable industry, will oversee every aspect of sales, negotiations, strategic planning, and marketing efforts related to the company’s content distribution, said company officials. 

Lopez joins Crown Media after serving 13 years at Fuse Media as head of content, distribution, advocacy & government affairs. Prior to Fuse, Lopez -- a 2015 Multichannel News Wonder Woman inductee -- served in several executive positions at AMC Networks. She will report to Crown Media president and CEO Wonya Lucas.

“Judi is a strategic visionary, highly respected professional, and incredibly knowledgeable about the industry as a whole and the evolving complexities of the content distribution landscape,” said Lucas in a statement.  “Judi's accomplishments as a champion for diversity and inclusion, as well as her keen business acumen distinguish her as the perfect candidate to join our Crown Media team."

In addition, Crown Media promoted executives Lisa Barroso to senior VP of content distribution and strategy, Holly Henderson to senior VP of distribution and Raquel Williams to vice president of distribution. Barroso and Henderson will report to Lopez, with Williams reporting to Barroso, said the company.

“I'd also like to congratulate Lisa, Holly, and Raquel on their expanded leadership roles within the company,” said Lucas.■

National Cable Television Cooperative members will continue to receive Hallmark Channel and Crown Media Family Networks’ other services as part of a new multiyear carriage deal between the two companies.

Along with Hallmark Channel, NCTC members will continue to carry Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama and Crown Media’s TV everywhere service Hallmark TV as part of the renewal agreement. The NCTC represents more than 700 small and midsized independent cable and broadband operators.

Financial terms were not disclosed. 

Also: Lisa Hamilton Daly Wraps Up Hallmark Channel's Programming Gifts to Viewers 

“Our longstanding partnership with NCTC’s member operators has allowed us to garner an audience of loyal viewers who value Hallmark’s unique brand of feel-good, heartwarming content,” Crown Media president and CEO Wonya Lucas said in a statement. “NCTC is an esteemed partner in elevating the breadth of our programming efforts year-round, and we look forward to continuing to provide their member operators and subscribers with access to our signature programming destinations in the years to come.”

Added NCTC EVP of programming Judy Meyka: “Hallmark provides quality programming that our members are pleased to share with their subscribers. We truly value our partnership with Hallmark and look forward to our continued relationship for many years to come.” ■ 

Also: New Disney Deal with NCTC Includes Disney Plus, ESPN Plus 

Independent distribution company Cinedigm said it will start offering digital rentals on select Hallmark Channel titles for the first time as part of a renewed distribution agreement with Crown Media Family Networks.

The renewal calls for Cinedigm to continue to handle distribution of Hallmark Channel content via transactional video-on-demand and physical media sales.

Also Read: Cinedigm Launching BOP Network With Choreographer Laurieann Gibson

Hallmark programming is sold over digital platforms including Amazon, Apple and Vudu.

Cinedigm has distributed Hallmark programming for nearly a decade. Over that time period, Hallmark’s VOD and physical media business has grown, thanks to promotions including day-after-air sales and in-store exclusives.

Also Read: Cinedigm Makes Deal To Launch Elvis Presley Channel

“Hallmark is a special studio because their content does more than just entertain, they evoke a feeling of joy and warmth with their passionate fan base,” said Yolanda Macias, chief content officer and head of digital sales at Cinedigm.

Also Read: Frndly TV Launching Hallmark Movies Now as Add-On Channel

“With so much uncertainty in the world, they remind us of the values we all have in common: the importance of friendship, family and love,” Macias said. “Seeing how audiences gravitate towards this content gives us a sense of pride; it’s touching to know that we can play a part in building a connection between the audience and these films by making them available to own and now rent.”

Cinedigm’s relationship began in 2012 as a launch partner for Hallmark’s ancillary business, distributing all aspects from its films to TV to the Hallmark Hall of Fame. During this time, together Cinedigm and Hallmark have built this business from the ground up.

“We at Crown Media greatly value our ongoing relationship with Cinedigm, which allows us to bring our heartwarming, uplifting content to fans anywhere and everywhere, across retail and digital,” added Natalie Vandergast, VP consumer products. “We look forward to continuing this rewarding partnership in the years ahead as our content offerings and fanbase continue to grow.”

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 

Steve Handler was tapped as senior VP, pricing and planning, at Crown Media Family Networks. 

The New York-based Handler will be charged with developing and executing pricing and inventory strategies across the Hallmark Channel parent’s linear and digital platforms, as well as overseeing campaign performance analyses and development of short-term and long-term objectives and budgets. He will report to executive VP of ad sales and digital media Ed Georger. 

“Steve is well-known in the industry for his ability to navigate the intricacies of inventory and pricing and execute revenue maximizing strategies,” Georger said in a statement. “His dynamic combination of linear and digital  expertise will be key to the performance of our pricing and planning and ad sales teams.” 

Handler comes from digital consultancy Inifinitive, where he had been business development lead. He also served in various pricing, planning and ad-sales roles at NBCUniversal, Viacom and other companies. 

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

Hallmark Channel has developed an unbeatable formula on the way to becoming the No. 1 cable network for women 25-54. 

As broken down by The New Yorker recently, the winning recipe for Hallmark movies calls for a nine-act screenplay, starting with a “meet-cute” first act, and themed around a single, attractive—but not too young!—woman with an interesting job, such as novelist or chocolatier. 

There is, of course, the attractive male love interest, who can be anything from a fireman to a prince. He will reliably have his first kiss with our protagonist right around Act VII. As The New Yorker notes, the Hallmark Movies audience is decidedly Middle-American and Christian. Recent Hallmark movies stars, however, have included  Holly Robinson Peete and Meghan Markle. The appeal is actually pretty broad, Hallmark reps say.

(Notable: Southern Living has ranked its 20 favorite Hallmark movies of all time here.)

Hallmark movies are frequently themed around holidays like Valentines Day. But Hallmark movies win the ratings war on Christmas. In 2019, the channel and its sister network, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, produced a 103 original movies, and 40 were themed around Christmas.

Since 2011, parent company Crown Media’s Hallmark Channel has programmed “Countdown to Christmas,” a 24-hour-day, seven-day-week slate of its original Christmas-themed Hallmark movies. As The New Yorker noted, 72 million people watched Countdown to Christmas in 2018. 

After becoming an unstoppable force on cable television, Crown Media wants to establish a beachhead for Hallmark movies in video streaming, too. 

A Very Digital Christmas?

Like a lot of media companies vested in cable, Crown Media dipped its toes into video streaming via the pay TV industry’s TV Everywhere initiative, the clumsily executed attempt to let cable, satellite and telco TV customers port their subscriptions to mobile and OTT devices. Hallmark Channel Everywhere launched in 2014.

In 2018, Crown took the plunge into direct-to-consumer SVOD, debuting Hallmark Movies Now. The service, which boasts more than 1 million subscribers, charges  $5.99 a month for full access to its programming library (including content from Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Hall of Fame, and original content specifically for digital). There’s currently a one-month free trial period to sample the service. Hallmark movies now supports Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android OTT devices, as well as iPhone/iPad, and Android mobile and tablets. Hallmark Movies Now is also offered to existing multichannel video-programming distributors and is available on YouTube TV.

Additionally, Hallmark has created the Hallmark Movie Checklist app, a mobile guide that allows users to track Hallmark movie premieres, set tune-in reminders, and check off those that have been watched. The app has generated nearly 2 million downloads since its launch in 2018. 

“For a long time, a key component of our digital strategy has involved developing ways we can deepen our viewers’ engagement with our linear channels and enhance their overall experience with our brand and programming,” Vicary said. “These tactics include digital content extensions, games, and contests, and the Hallmark Movie Checklist app. In the near future, you will see us reinventing that experience to capture all our TV assets, including programming from our other two linear channels, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama.

“Obviously, there are a lot of viewers who turn to Hallmark Movies Now because they have cut the cord and don’t have access to Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama,” Vicary added. “But many of the service’s subscribers have also maintained their traditional cable subscriptions, so we purposefully market our SVOD platform as additive to our linear channels, not just as an alternative.  We also put a lot of care into curating distinct content experiences across all our services – linear and digital. In this way, each platform features an entirely unique programing lineup.”

Scandal Comes to Hallmark Movies

While Crown aims to keep its Hallmark movies brand decidedly apolitical and non-controversial, 2019 was a challenging year for the company.

First Lori Loughlin, Hallmark movies’ signature star, was unceremoniously axed after her starring role in the real-life “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal. 

Then, in December, Crown caught flack for removing ads on its cable networks for wedding planning site Zola, which featured images of gay nuptials. Crown Media reversed that decision. And in January, Bill Abbott, who had led the company for 11 years as CEO, ankled. 

In the multi-act feel-good screenplay that is the Hallmark movies brand, both scandals will be merely a footnote to a history that spans all the way back to 1910,
when Hallmark launched as the manufacturer of greeting cards. 

Ultimately, the line was expanded to party goods, gift wrap and stationery, among other products, across its growing line of retail stores. And the brand, which was themed to families, joined the media world, first as the sponsor for 1940s dramatic anthology Radio Reader’s Digest, and then as Hallmark’s Playhouse, which debuted on CBS Radio in 1948.

Early Television Origins

In 1951, the Hallmark brand premiered on NBC as Hallmark Television Playhouse with an airing of the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. One year later, also on NBC, was a series of live plays packaged in The Hallmark Summer Theater. In 1953, there was a new name, Hallmark Hall of Fame, which was used to promote the Hallmark products to the public through its family friendly storytelling. Through 1978, Hallmark was a staple on NBC as a periodic arena for television movies and specials.

In 1979, Hallmark Hall of Fame moved to CBS, where it remained through 1989 (excluding a brief run on PBS in 1981). ABC became the home for Hallmark Hall of Fame from 1989 to 1994, followed by 16 additional seasons on CBS (1994 to 2011), and a brief return on ABC. By September 2014, The Hallmark Channel became its exclusive home.

The Hallmark Channel

The origins of The Hallmark Channel began as Vision Interfaith Satellite Network (VISN), a cable channel launched in 1988 by the National Interfaith Cable Coalition. That group included 65 different religious groups.

In October 1992, VISN merged with the American Christian Television Service (ACTS), and was renamed VISN/ACTS. In 1994, it became the Faith & Values Channel (also featuring all religious-themed programming). And in 1996, the name was changed again to the Odyssey Channel. By then, the programming became more mass appeal in courtesy of the off-network syndication acquisitions of series like dramas Father Murphy and Our House, and nostalgic comedy Brooklyn Bridge.

In 2000, Crown Media Holdings, Inc. was formed when Hallmark Entertainment, Chase Equity Associates, Liberty Media, and the National Interfaith Cable Coalition transferred their 77.5% total interest in the Odyssey Network into Crown Media Holdings. And, in 2001, the name Odyssey Channel was changed to Hallmark Channel. The emphasis was on family friendly programming in the vein of Touched By an Angel and Hallmark Hall of Fame, among other repeat options, and miniseries The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells, which was the first original programming venue following the rebranding.

AMC NETWORKS

AMC Networks has named Brett Dismuke general manager of WE tv and Urban Movie Channel, adding oversight of the female-focused network to his duties. Dismuke had been chief content officer of UMC since January. 

CPB

Kathryn Washington was elevated to senior VP, television content at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, charged with funding “innovative, diverse and creative programming.” She was VP, television content. 

CROWN MEDIA

Lara Richardson has joined Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks as chief marketing officer. She comes from Discovery, where she was group executive VP of marketing for Discovery and Science Channel.

DISCOVERY

Jim Keller has joined Discovery as executive VP, digital ad sales and advanced advertising, based in New York and tasked with driving digital revenue for Discovery Plus. He was VP, head of national advertising sales at Hulu.

FOX NEWS

Tom Lowell was named executive VP and managing editor of news at Fox News Channel, tasked with overseeing daytime coverage. He had been VP and managing editor of news since 2016, overseeing network newsgathering. 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE

Digital ad verification firm Integral Ad Science has tapped Mehul Desai as country head, India. He most recently was chief operating officer at Scan-IT, where he led technical and business operations. 

MARKETCAST

Analytics firm MarketCast has added Zoë Friend as corporate senior VP of customer research and insights. She led a team of 40 as head of Netflix’s content and marketing research practice for five years. 

MSNBC

Rashida Jones was named president of MSNBC, succeeding 25-year veteran Phil Griffin at the helm of the cable news network. She had been a senior VP at NBC News and MSNBC.

PALEY CENTER

Jamitha Fields was named to the new post of VP of diversity, inclusion and engagement at The Paley Center for Media. She had worked as the organization’s VP of development and client services for four years.

RIEDEL 

Riedel Communications, a provider of IP-enabled video solutions, has promoted Renaud Lavoie to senior VP, technology. He had worked as managing director of Riedel Montreal for about a year. 

WARNERMEDIA

Jennifer Biry was named chief financial officer at WarnerMedia, succeeding now-AT&T CFO Pascal Desroches. She was most recently CFO of AT&T Communications’ mobility and entertainment organizations. 

WNET GROUP

The WNET Group in New York has named James King as the new artistic director of its ALL ARTS multimedia platform. He is the former managing director of Harlem Stage, also in New York. 

BRIEFLY NOTED

Other industry execs making moves

Adriana Diaz and Jericka Duncan have been named anchors of CBS Weekend News. Diaz will anchor Saturdays from Chicago and Duncan will anchor Sundays from New York. … Lara Richardson was named chief marketing officer at Crown Media Family Networks. She had been group executive VP of marketing for Discovery and Science Channel. … Kids’ content company Genius Brands International has promoted Michael Jaffa to chief operating officer. He was general counsel and senior VP of business affairs. … Hearst Television has upped Matt Helf to director of its HTV Design unit in Orlando. He had been a brand research manager. … Mission Broadcasting has promoted Taunya Tourville-Bennett to station manager and general sales manager of duopoly KWBQ/KASY Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had been local sales manager at the stations. … David Solomon was named CEO at independent cable ad rep firm Viamedia. He had been chief revenue officer. … Janet Dewart Bell has been named as chair of the Women’s Media Center. She is president of nonprofit organization LEAD Intergenerational Solutions.

Crown Media Family Networks has tapped Lara Richardson to be chief marketing officer.

She will oversee all marketing campaigns and brand differentiation strategies for the family-friendly cable channels, which comprise Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama.

Richardson had been group EVP of marketing for Discovery and Science Channel.

“Lara is well known and lauded in the industry as a highly creative, visionary, and insightful leader with cutting-edge ideas and marketing strategies,” Crown Media president and CEO Wonya Lucas, who also was a Discovery executive earlier in her career, said of the new hire. “As our industry continues to rapidly evolve, Lara’s expertise will be instrumental in further reinforcing the Crown Media brand."

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.

AT&T’s Xandr advanced advertising unit said its Invest TV platform now has inventory from A+E Networks and Crown Media Family Networks available to brands looking to plan and execute audience-based campaigns.

A+E and Crown Media previously used Xandr’s Monetize supply-side platform to sell digital inventory.

Xandr, which earlier this year said that AMC Networks, the Walt Disney Co., and WarnerMedia were participating in automated audience-based selling through Invest TV, is reportedly among the assets AT&T is looking to divest in order to reduce debt.

In the meantime, Xandr said brands including AT&T are using its platform to mount campaigns that use multiple networks to reach target audiences.

“Xandr Invest offers the automation and data-driven approach that brands need to make a significant impact. Through unified reach forecasting and measurement in a systems-based process, it opens up a streamlined and flexible way of reserved advanced TV buying,” said Mike Welch, head of Xandr. “Xandr is moving the TV advertising industry forward, alongside top programmers like A+E Networks and Crown Media Family Networks.”

Programmers are increasingly making their inventory for sale on a variety of automated platforms.

“At A+E Networks, we continue our well-established leadership role in providing audience based automated solutions,” said Peter Olsen, president, ad sales, A+E Networks. “We are pleased to expand our A+E Precision & Performance offerings with the addition of Xandr Invest which complements our relentless focus on delivering on our marketing/advertising partners’ goals by providing access to our valuable audience and our premium content through solutions and platforms, whether direct or automated.”

“With the advent of innovative new technologies that yield key data-driven insights, our industry has reached an inflection point in the way advertisers reach their target audiences in the most impactful, efficient way possible,” added Ed Georger, executive VP, advertising sales and digital media, Crown Media Family Networks. “Our partnership with Xandr, a platform that is leading the charge in this space, allows us to more optimally serve our clients and help them meet their core business objectives.”

The greater availability of TV inventory on platforms like Xandr’s helps media buyers reach their client’s target audiences.

“We are thrilled to see more of our top media partners make Linear TV content available to book, measure and report through tech platforms like Invest TV. It’s clear that technology and automation can be our friend as the pandemic has further exposed the highly manual nature of legacy TV  business models, especially at a time when advertisers need speed and flexibility to optimize Linear TV for higher performance more than ever,” said Michael Piner, senior VP, Video & Data Driven Investment at Mediahub. “We believe adding technology and automation to the Linear TV business model going forward will enable the digital-like accountability, targetability and optimization capabilities that our advertisers desire at scale.”

“Here at Hearts & Science, delivering effective reach and optimal frequency is critical to our clients,” added Larry Hunt, senior director, Integrated Video Investment, Hearts & Science. “The ability to negotiate with multiple partners, utilizing one audience currency while garnering a holistic view of Reach and Frequency is a huge benefit to working in the Xandr Invest TV platform.”

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.

Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks said that Andy Rooke has been promoted from chief financial officer to chief operating officer, a long vacant post.

In addition to continuing his role heading the company’s financial operations, Rooke will be responsible for corporate strategy, business development and the company’s non-cable businesses, which include SVOD, publishing, home entertainment and licensing.

He reports to CEO Wonya Lucas.

“For nearly a decade, Andy’s financial stewardship, strategic vision, and leadership have been central to Crown Media’s expansion from cable programmer to multi-dimensional company offering a thriving portfolio of brand extensions and businesses,” said Lucas. “As our company continues to rapidly evolve, Andy’s well-deserved promotion and increased oversight will maximize his talents, more strongly positioning him to navigate exciting new areas of growth for our business.”

Rooke was executive VP, Operations & CFO prior to this new promotion.

Before joining Crown Media in 2011, Rooke served as chief financial officer at 20th Television, where he oversaw all finance and accounting activities, management of IT and production administration functions.

Paul FitzPatrick resigned as COO in 2006 after being passed over for the CEO post, which went to Henry Schleiff, now with Discovery.

Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark Channel and related programming outlets, said it has appointed Annie Howell as chief communications officer. 

Howell, who was executive VP of corporate communications and media relations from 2010 to 2014, reports to Wonya Lucas, the company's president and CEO. Lucas joined in July, after former chief Bill Abbott left the company. Lucas and Howell both worked for Discovery networks earlier in their careers.

Related: Hallmark Channel Parent Hires Wonya Lucas as CEO

“As one of our industry’s most widely recognized and respected communications leaders, Annie embodies a rare combination of creativity, experience, keen insight, warmth, and humor,” Lucas said in a release. “Having previously worked at Crown Media, she also brings to the table an intimate understanding of the Hallmark brand, making her uniquely qualified to lead the corporate communications, program publicity, and social media teams. It is my great pleasure to welcome Annie as a key member of my executive team and I look forward to collaborating with her as we embark on an exciting new chapter in Crown Media’s history.”

Howell earlier was interim head of communications at AMC Networks-owned SundanceTV and founded The Punch Point Group, a communications firm, in which she is a non-operative partner. She spent 11 years at Discovery as a senior VP of communications and public affairs, helping to launch Planet Green and overseeing communications efforts for a wide range of Discovery networks.

Before coming into the entertainment industry, she spent 12 years in public affairs and crisis communications in Washington, D.C., at Powell Tate and Ogilvy & Mather Public Affairs.

Howell also serves on the national executive board of the Alliance for Women in Media and, for five years, has co-chaired the organization’s Gracie Awards. She earlier served on the executive committee and board of the Association of Cable Communicators and the NCTA Public Affairs Committee and was on the Washington-Baltimore chapter board of WICT, where she remains active.

Crown Media Family Networks has named former TV One and the Weather Channel executive Wonya Lucas as its president and CEO.

Lucas will be responsible for the strategic direction, management and growth of Crown’s three linear networks Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movie & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama, as well as the company’s Hallmark Movies Now subscription streaming service. Lucas will report to Hallmark Cards CEO Mike Perry.

“Wonya is a brand builder at her core who shares Hallmark’s beliefs and values. She has a deep understanding of the role our brand plays in fulfilling a bigger purpose in people’s lives,” Perry said in a statement. “After a thorough search process, we found a remarkable leader with proven general management skills, as well as a track record of success in driving business results and evolving the positioning and programming of a brand. I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Wonya to the Hallmark family.”

RELATED: Hallmark Channel Chief Bill Abbott Out at Crown Media

Lucas’ appointment comes six months after former Hallmark Channel president and CEO Bill Abbott left the company amid controversy over Hallmark Channel’s pulling of an ad for a wedding planning company which showed two women kissing during their wedding ceremony. The network eventually restored the commercial.

Lucas most recently served as president and CEO of Public Broadcasting Atlanta. Prior to that Lucas served as TV One CEO, and has also served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Discovery Channel and Science Channel as well as the Weather Channel Networks general manager. She's also spent time at TBS, CNN and in brand management roles at Coke and Clorox.

“Hallmark has been central to my life since I can remember, starting with those Hallmark Hall of Fame movies that were as enriching as they were entertaining,” Lucas said in a statement. “In some ways, my entire career has led me to this incredible opportunity to use the breadth of my experience and skills to evolve an iconic and beloved brand, a culture and a business. I am honored to link arms with the multi-talented leaders and their teams at Crown to build toward an exciting future.”

 While COVID-19 has altered some traditions — the Kentucky Derby, 4th of July fireworks, the upfront — Crown Media Family Networks expects to benefit from some things that won’t change.

“While there’s a lot of uncertainty, one thing we know for sure that will not be canceled is Christmas,” Ed Georger, executive VP for sales at Crown, said.

Christmas means big ratings for Crown, which will be running holiday programming 24/7 on its two main networks, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as part of its 10th “Countdown to Christmas.”

The upfront market, usually mostly done by July 4, is running late as marketers try to figure out how to do business in a pandemic. Georger thinks Crown’s upfront will be more “normal” than other media companies because many of its advertisers are in categories that are likely to be comfortable making upfront deals now, such as consumer packaged goods, insurance and pharmaceuticals.

“That group will commit probably to a more traditional broadcast year upfront, and for us, I think that’s going to be a lot of our businesses,” he said. 

Deals Still Pending

Crown hasn’t closed any upfront deals yet, Georger said. “We're in discussions with most of the major [agency] groups. My feeling is they still are trying to assess the temperature and the tolerance of their clients.”

Another group in more challenged categories, like automotive and retail, will place fourth-quarter budgets and delay the rest of their negotiations until October or November. “Or maybe we’ll negotiate that now, knowing there’s going to be flexibility on those orders, and that’s fine too,” Georger said. “We can work within those parameters.” 

The last group — travel, cruise lines, quick-serve restaurants — aren’t big spenders at Hallmark. They may buy in scatter or shift to a calendar year upfront.

In addition to flexibility — the ability to adjust schedules to solve clients’ issues — the big talking points in the upfront seem to be transparency and trust. Crown earned some trust by working with advertisers in the turbulent days of April and May. That paid off when third-quarter options came in lower than expected, Georger said, and as the scatter market improved in June. “We have a business to run, too, but I think making some short-term adjustments and sacrifices as good partners should ultimately come back around,” he said. 

Crown’s networks will also benefit from the kind of feel-good content they offer. Amid news about viruses and elections, “there’s going to be more of a need than ever arguably to feel good and escape, and that holiday will bring out that spirit. Our commitment to our holiday programming will play very well for us,” Georger said, adding that a lot of holiday commercials are emotional. “They’re connecting people and that plays very well in our environment.”

Production Delays

The pandemic has affected TV production. but Hallmark has managed to crank out the 40 original holiday movies that had been planned. Hallmark also has a vault full of holiday movies that fans watch over and over, and the top films from 2018 and 2019 will find their way into this year’s Countdown to Christmas.

The network expects to generate some attention when it rolls out its slate of new Christmas movies and makes a series of high profile casting announcements.

And with Universal Studios reopening, Hallmark Channel will be able to restart its daytime Home & Family show. 

“There’s a level of reliability in what we’ll be doing in the fourth quarter, so in a time of uncertainty, there’s certainly some advantages to having our strategy set in place,” Georger said. 

Crown Media Family Networks is offering more holiday cheer with the introduction of Hallmark Channel wines.

Working with the company Wines That Rock, Hallmark is offering two varietals: Jingle, described as a rich, full-bodied premium Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of cherry, dark chocolate and a hint of holiday spice, and Joy, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc featuring notes of tropical fruits, white peach and ripe pineapple.

“Over the last ten years, ’Countdown to Christmas’ has evolved into something more than a collection of holiday movies, it has become a seasonal lifestyle experience,” said Danielle Mullin, senior VP, marketing, Crown Media Family Networks. “Featuring two exclusive varietals that can be found nowhere else, our Hallmark Channel Wines collection is an exciting new extension of our brand and is designed to enhance our viewers’ enjoyment of the holidays – whether as an accompaniment to our signature movies, an offering at family gatherings, or a unique gift for Hallmark Channel fans.” 

Hallmark Channel Wines will be promoted on-air, across social media and digital platforms, and on the network’s daily, two-hour lifestyle show, Home & Family.

The limited-edition wines are available for pre-order at hallmarkchannelwines.com. There are two packs, four packs, six packs and a 12-bottle case. All will be shipped in time for the launch of Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas programming extravaganza.

“Hallmark Channel has inspired our winemaking team to create a delicious holiday themed collection that embodies Hallmark Channel’s passion for celebration. We thoroughly enjoyed bringing these wines to life. This unique Hallmark Channel Wine Collection really delivers on taste, value and most importantly – some holiday cheer” said Wines That Rock winemaker Andrew Nelson.

As more families are staying at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, linear-based, family-friendly networks are lining up original content to offer audiences on digital platforms.

Crown Media Family Networks announced Thursday (March 26) that it would make its Hallmark Movies Now subscription video on demand service available free for 30 days. Along with a slate of original movies and series from its linear cable channels Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, the SVOD service -- which retails at $4.99 per month -- will also feature a lineup of popular Christmas movie offerings, said the company.

The Hallmark linear channel is reprising its We Need a Little Christmas holiday movie marathon this weekend beginning March 27. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is also kicking off a weekend holiday event, Miracles of Christmas Movie Marathon, beginning March 27, said the network.

The move follows a similar free SVOD offering from UpTV. The family-themed network is offering a select number of original movies, series and specials for free on its UpTV Faith and Family OTT service. 

Among the original UpTV series streaming previous seasons for free include Growing Up McGhee, Jo Frost: Nanny On Tour and The Last Hope, according to network officials. 

Crown Media Family Networks said Hallmark Drama, the company’s third linear cable network, launched today (Sept. 10) on Comcast's Xfinity X1 platform. Customers who have the Digital Preferred package can say “Hallmark Drama” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to live tune to the network or tune to channel 1460. Crown launched the network in 2017, with the first breakthrough coming on launch on Dish Network. Other distributors of note include DirecTV, Cox Communications and NCTC affiliates, along with virtual pay-TV providers including Fubo, Philo and Sony PlayStation Vue. Charter Communications also includes Hallmark Drama in its TV Essentials offering for broadband-only customers, according to Crown distribution executive Erin McIlvain. She said the Xfinity launch brings the channel up above the 25-million subscriber mark.

Hallmark Drama is soon to launch its first proprietary original shows, including holiday specials Christmas Cookie Matchup (pictured above) and Project Christmas Joy plus new installments in the “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” movie franchise and the sequel to the 2016 original movie JL Family Ranch starring Jon Voight, Teri Polo, James Caan, Bo Derek and Dylan Walsh. Hallmark Drama also features series and movies from Crown Media’s library. Crown's other two linear channels are Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

Related: Hallmark Drama Channel Launches Into Headwinds for Linear Networks (2017)

“With the kick-off of our beloved holiday programming right around the corner and the imminent rollout of brand-new original content on Hallmark Drama, the timing for this launch could not be better,” Erin McIlvain, executive vice president, content strategy and distribution for Crown Media Family Networks, said in a release. “We have built a strong partnership with Comcast over the years and with the addition of Hallmark Drama to Xfinity X1’s suite of Crown Media offerings, Xfinity customers will now have a unique new way to enjoy more of the Hallmark-branded entertainment they know and love.”

In an interview, McIlvain credited Comcast. "They're a good partner and they see the value in our networks and they understand that there's an appetite for Hallmark content," she said. Comcast carries all three linear channels and the Hallmark Movies Now subscription VOD service.

Hallmark channel’s annual ‘‘Countdown to Christmas” holiday programming stunt is delivering gifts for parent Crown Media holdings in both ratings and advertising. Hallmark tied ESPN as the most-watched cable network in primetime from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, its first weekly its first weekly ratings win of the year.

Since launching its block of 22 original, family-friendly holiday films in late October, Hallmark is averaging more than 2 million viewers in primetime, double its tally during the third quarter. The first 14 of those telefilms — including Road to Christmas and A Shoe Addict’s Christmas — have averaged 3.6 million viewers.

On the advertising front, Hallmark and sibling Hallmark Movies & Mysteries garnered double-digit increases in price and volume within the upfronts and scatter markets due to the ratings success of Countdown to Christmas, according to Ed Georger, Crown Media Family Networks executive vice president of advertising sales and digital media. New this season: a Hallmark-branded SiriusXM satellite radio channel featuring holiday music and behind-scenes content from upcoming holiday movies, and an official Hallmark Channels podcast that launched Dec. 14.

Crown Media Family Networks president and CEO Bill Abbott spoke with Multichannel News about the network’s successful holiday programming run.

MCN: What is the secret sauce behind Hallmark’s continued success with its holiday-themed, original movie lineup?
Bill Abbott: First and foremost, we have a brand that’s synonymous with the holidays, so we have a huge head start going into the holiday season. It’s hard to make that pivot to become a holiday content provider when you’ve been something very different all year long. Secondly, our content just gets better every year. We have worked, as you know, very hard on our story, scripts, casting, production value, music and all the different things that just make us more formidable every year and makes our library that much better every year. Thirdly, our marketing effort is reaching a new level this year with our partnership with Sirius. Our goal to be everywhere that the holiday/Christmas enthusiast is throughout the season is really at a new level. So those are three things that are very big advantages for us that are that are hard to compete with.

MCN: How has your holiday lineup performed in terms of advertising and sponsorship?
BA: We’re having a great scatter market. We’re seeing CPM [price] increases that are significant, and we’re seeing revenue increases that are far outpacing the industry quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. We’re No. 1 in the vast majority of demographics with the exception of probably adults 18-49, where sports are so big. So demographically, how it translates out on a total-day basis — which is how cable really is purchased by the advertiser — makes us really dominant throughout this time of year, and that drops right to the bottom line.

So it’s a very strong business model and one that advertisers love. They love our environment, and we’ve worked hard to make our environment special throughout the holidays. That translates to higher pricing, a better mix of advertisers and a better overall story on the ad sales side.

MCN: How does success during the holiday season translate to boosting revenue and ratings fortunes the rest of the year?
BA: We’ve focused on holidays as a tentpole for our brand, which is all about celebration. So we have the tentpoles of Valentine’s Day, weddings and certainly Christmas and Thanksgiving. But we also have celebrations of the four seasons as well, so we’ve really expanded our content to create that feeling not dissimilar to when you walk into a Hallmark Gold Crown store. You would feel a lot of bright colors and a lot of different reflections of the season at retail that we chose to capture on air as well. That is something that advertisers really take into account, and it’s really helped us in terms of the marketplace. Nobody else can do that, because their brand isn’t synonymous with [the holiday season] the way ours is.

Layer3 TV, the Denver-based next-gen cable operator, said it has expanded its “allHD” package with the launch of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

Financial terms were not announced, but Layer3 TV said both channels – from Crown Media Family Networks – are now available on its mostly widely-distributed package, called Platinum.  Its allHD lineup features more than 250 channels and includes the HD feed of all channels that offer one.

Layer3 TV said it’s also adding those channels amid Hallmark Channel’s annual “Countdown to Valentine’s Day” programming tilt, which features five new original love-themed movies, and started on Jan. 29 with the premiere of Love Locks, starring Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romjin.

RELATED: Say Hello to ‘Concierge Cable’

Layer3 TV currently offers service in the Washington, D.C., metro and in the Chicagoland markets. It’s expected to launch in Denver next. According to The Denver Post, Layer3 TV was anticipating a service launch in its home market by mid-January, but that timing appears to have slipped. At last check, Layer3 TV’s Web site notes that the company plans to bow services in the Mile High City “soon,” but does not cite a specific date.

Layer3 TV is an IP-delivered video service, but does not consider itself an “over-the-top” offering in part because its video signals do not traverse the public Internet from their origination point to the local market. But, unlike a traditional cable operator, Layer3 TV doesn’t own and operate the local-access network.

RELATED: Layer3 TV: A Different Kind of Animal

 “We are thrilled to bring our customers Crown Media’s two distinct networks, which provide top quality family entertainment for everyone in the household,” said Lindsay Gardner, Layer3 TV’s chief content officer, in a statement. “Layer3 TV is dedicated to bringing customers a premium service and will always be adding content, features and experiences to achieve that end.”

SUSANNE MCAVOY

TITLE: Executive Vice President, Marketing, Creative and Communications

COMPANY: Crown Media Family Networks

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: From her beginnings with Turner International in Hong Kong, McAvoy was part of building such influential brands as Oxygen, Comcast Spotlight and Bravo.

QUOTABLE: “I feel like the people I mentor today can really teach me a lot about how they perceive the world, how they perceive technology, even down to what some of the [social media] acronyms are.”

Read More >Celebrating Media's Influential Women: The 'MCN' Wonder Women Class of 2017|Meet 2017's 12 'MCN' Women to Watch|The 'MCN' Wonder Women Online Archive

I look at the women over the years and it seems a little surreal to have my name be on that list,” Susanne McAvoy said of being honored among the 2017 Wonder Women. “There’s a lot more that I want to do, and then I think, ‘Wow, does that mean if I do more I’m all of a sudden a hall of famer?’”

If so, McAvoy just might have a spot. As executive vice president of marketing, creative and communications for Crown Media Family Networks, McAvoy has led the marketing and communications efforts for the company’s key entertainment channels, looking to keep them up to date while ensuring they stay in sync with the 106-year-old Hallmark brand.

Her first charge was the 2012 rebranding of Hallmark Channel. “For us, it was a repositioning in that we really needed to look at what we represented to the consumers,” McAvoy said. “We know that Hallmark represents this huge range of emotions — we know that from the brick-and-mortar brand [and] from what people say about Hallmark. So how do we in television contemporize the brand knowing we can’t change the logo, we can’t change our heritage and pedigree?”

GETTING TO THE ‘HEART’

After working through various taglines, she said, “It was kind of like this obvious duh! moment: We’re the heart of TV. We’re all about emotions. Then we went through the whole thing: Is ‘TV’ antiquated? And no, the word TV isn’t antiquated. People say ‘I watch TV on my iPad,’ or ‘I watch TV on my Android.’ We looked at other things like, ‘Hallmark Feels Right’ or ‘Hallmark Makes You Feel Good.’ No, we represent ‘The Heart of TV.’ ”

The rebranding of Hallmark Movie Channel to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 2014 proved a different challenge. For this, McAvoy liaised with the principals at Hallmark Cards — representing nearly 4,000 Hallmark Gold Crown retail stores — who were not thrilled with the prospects of including “Mysteries” in the brand title, despite whodunits carrying some of the channel’s highest-rated dayparts.

“They really felt like mysteries and Hallmark didn’t belong together,” she recalls of those exchanges. “It was like: What doesn’t belong? Cat. Dog. Squirrel. Apple. Hallmark and mysteries, in their mind, just didn’t go together.”

Along with Crown Media president and CEO Bill Abbott, McAvoy went through “a long exercise of explaining” the benefits to the brand, to advertisers and to distributors, she said.

Two and a half years later, HMM is another jewel in McAvoy’s rebranding crown. “Because we’re still Hallmark,” she said. “We’re very true to our viewer. We’re not trying to be edgier or younger, we’re just trying to be contemporary in the entertainment space today.”

Said Ian Karr of McAvoy: “She knows what the brand is and she understands how to build that brand with her audience.” Karr, founder, producer and director at IKA Collective, has worked with McAvoy to launch series promos, behind-scenes packages and programming stunts for Hallmark Channel and HMM. “Susanne is about growing the audience organically, not just by having the next Kardashians show, but by deepening our ties with our viewers because she’s representative of the audience.”

A career in communications had long been on McAvoy’s trajectory. While a senior at Vanderbilt University, the Mobile, Ala., native did a full-semester internship on the news desk during the 1992 Bush-Clinton presidential election, with dreams of becoming the next Katie Couric.

“But what I learned from that internship is that I didn’t want to be the next Katie Couric — the news doesn’t stop; the news doesn’t work 9 to 5 — but I did have this passion for the television business overall,” she said.

After a year touring Asia, she landed a job in international marketing with Turner International in Hong Kong before moving back to the headquarters in Atlanta. After that, McAvoy was director of affiliate marketing at Oxygen Media and senior manager of affiliate marketing for MTV. She then moved to Comcast Spotlight, where was director of corporate marketing, managing the company’s advertising agency, Cramer-Krasselt, and developing and creating consumer ad campaigns, on-air spots, direct mail campaigns and sales videos.

After years of corporate busyness, she left to forge out on her own. “I freelanced at a few different places. I got married during that time,” said McAvoy, who celebrates her 10-year anniversary this summer. The couple has 7-year-old twins. “It was a nice break from the full-time capacity that I had been operating at that point in my career. It got me in a place where I was really clear about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do.”

A few months at Bravo helped solidify her decision. “That was the very beginning of Real Housewives; it was the first year, Top Chef was on fire and the beginning of branded entertainment and integrations,” she remembers. “That time spent at Bravo — seeing how the upfront and the ad sales worked — got me ready to come here.”

Said Abbott: “I could see right out of the gate that she was a star and was going to be with us for a very long time.”

‘HALL OF FAME’ WORK

Recently, McAvoy worked on the “brand refresh” for the 65th anniversary of the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movie franchise. “That was almost like a rebrand in and of itself,” she said. Its most recent film, Love Locks, aired this month starring real-life couple Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell. McAvoy also led the ad campaign featuring Glenn Close as the voice for Hallmark Hall of Fame. “There are some other projects that Crown Media has in the works,” McAvoy said, “so there will definitely be more of the Hallmark brand out there in the press.”

And keeping Hallmark’s entertainment brand identity strong with viewers — whether via linear or streaming service — will continue to be McAvoy’s priority. “Strong network brands will potentially be in a more powerful position given all of the fragmentation because people are going to consume their content one way or another,” she said, “and they’re going to want know exactly what they’re going to get.”

Crown Media Family Networks, parent of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, said Deanne R. Stedem will succeed longtime executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel Charlie Stanford, who is retiring after 17 years at the company, in that role.

Stedem joins from Crown Media's parent company, Hallmark Cards Inc., will report to Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott and is based in Kansas City, Mo. 

“Charlie is one of the most well-liked and respected people in entertainment. His integrity, keen insights, and knowledge of the industry have been instrumental in establishing and guiding our business from the very beginning,” Abbott said in a release. “As an integral member of the Crown Media family, he will be deeply missed and we wish him the best of luck as he embarks on this new chapter in his life.”

“Deanne, a former member of Crown Media Family Networks’ Board of Directors, already knows our business inside and out,” Abbott said in the release. “Her extensive legal expertise and strategic mind will be central to the continued growth of our business well into the future and it is with great pleasure that we welcome her to Crown Media.”

In her new role, Stedem will have responsibility for all aspects of the company’s legal and business affairs, as well as distribution, Crown Media said.

The programmer also said Mark J. Kern is back at the company in a newly recreated role of senior vice president, corporate communications & media relations, charged with strategic oversight of all aspects of corporate communications and program publicity. In addition to serving previously at Crown Media he had held senior executive positions at Discovery Communications’ joint venture, Hub TV Network, and at Fox Broadcasting Co. He will be based in Studio City, Calif., and report jointly to Susanne McAvoy, EVP, marketing, creative & communications and Michelle Vicary, EVP, programming & network publicity.

“While both our networks continue to grow, increasing the visibility of our company among consumers and within the industry is crucial to the continued success of our ratings and bottom line,” Abbott said in the release. “Mark’s creativity, understanding of the business, and strong leadership will play an important role in further raising awareness of Crown Media during this exciting and pivotal time in our history.”

Comedy Central’s upfront presentation Thursday (March 31), during a busy week for those cable-network gatherings in New York, was definitely the one with the most F-bombs and references to male and female genitalia from onstage presenters.

Amy Schumer’s risqué standup act — referencing certain aspects of her own sex life that can’t be relayed here — set the tone. The Daily Show host Trevor Noah had a naughty take on the current political climate. Comedy Central Roasts host Jeff Ross did a profanity-filled parody of Donald Trump. Broad City’s Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson removed their clothes to reveal nude body suits as the event ended with the network’s on-air stars dressed in bathrobes.

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FX’s upfront gathering Wednesday began with a screening of the upcoming final episode of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Attendees included series stars Courtney B. Vance and John Travolta. FX Networks CEO John Landgraf thanked the various FX and FXX stars and producers who came, saying, “We know that they can make great television … what we don’t know is if they can bowl.” That’s because the night continued with an FX Networks signature bowling party across town from the screening.

Crown Media Family Networks (the two Hallmark channels’ parent), in contrast, entertained about 200 in style Wednesday at the Rainbow Room. Helping Crown CEO Bill Abbott and ad-sales EVP Ed Georger as hosts were Hallmark original-movie stars Lori Loughlin and Candace Cameron Bure. Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik performed.

When Discovery Communications pitched upcoming slates at a breakfast gathering Thursday, questioners zoomed in on why reality haven TLC had ordered a new Tyler Perry-produced scripted series, Too Close to Home, when those are usually the province of Discovery affiliate OWN. TLC chief Nancy Daniels called it “a big swing,” but said TLC’s audience watches scripted shows elsewhere, so why not on TLC? When a reporter asked if it was easier to control actors in a scripted show than characters in a reality series — TLC is home to such shows as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and 19 Kids and Counting — Discovery CEO David Zaslav observed that controlling people “is a problem in life in general.” The Wire definitely agrees.

— R. Thomas Umstead

Take Off (My Cable Bill), You Hoser

Barely a month into the Canadian government’s mandated skinny bundle experiment, legislators are warning potential customers that they’re on their own if they expect the new lighter video packages to result in lower pay TV bills.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chairman Jean-Pierre Blais told the Globe and Mail newspaper that Canadian consumers wrongly assumed the government was going to cut cable prices when the intention was to provide more choices. If consumers want lower bills, he said, they’re just going to have to haggle with their provider, as he did.

After delivering a speech on anti-spam legislation in Toronto, Blais told the newspaper he was able to slim down his monthly pay TV bill the direct way, by threatening to switch providers.

“Was it easy? No. … You have to keep going up the chain into [the] loyalty program. It requires eff ort,” he said.

“This will take time, and I’ll repeat it again: Canadians will have to do some work,” Blais stressed. “They will have to be ready to at least threaten to change providers.”

The skinny-bundle mandate in Canada took effect on March 1 and is being watched closely to see how popular the new sub-C$25 plans might be with consumers. Canadian providers complied with a variety of packages, but critics said they weren’t well publicized and contained sparsely-viewed channels.

Reports indicate the Canadian regulator had received about 600 complaints from consumers, including those from viewers who found the channels in the skinny packages weren’t compelling

— Mike Farrell

The subject of diversity will take center stage this Wednesday (March 23) at the 23rd annual T. Howard Foundation Diversity Awards Dinner in New York. Juju Chang, co-anchor of ABC’s Nightline, will host the event, which recognizes and celebrates industry leaders and companies committed to increasing diversity. T. Howard Foundation president Jo Pamphile spoke with Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about this year’s event, which will award a Corporate Excellence Award to HBO, a Corporate Championship Award to ABC Entertainment and a Diversity Partner Award to Crown Media Family Networks and Microsoft. Pamphile heads a diversity organization that helps place young college-age people of color into internship programs. This year, the organization received more than 1,500 applications from college students of color for about 100 potential internship opportunities in 2016. Here are highlights of their conversation.

MCN:Heading into the dinner, do you believe the T. Howard Foundation is on the right track of accomplishing the diversity goals it set for itself and for the industry?

Jo Pamphile: We’re feeling that it’s sort of our time in a sense because, for one, diversity is in the news constantly. We believe we’re in such a good place with regards to our diversity efforts. Over the years, we have grown so much — we started as a summer program, and now we’re a year-round program. We have over 100 interns total this year, but we’ve expanded our reach beyond placing interns.

We now have a professional-development arm that we call our talent development program. What that program does is provide all the professional tutoring that the candidates will need for their positions.

We will also soon start a more aggressive eff ort to recruit diverse talent in the tech space. The industry is changing in that regard and the need for talent with those skills is growing. We feel that this is something that we have to do because the needs of our host companies are changing, and to keep up with that, we have to change, too. We will look to increase our recruiting eff orts to include engineers and [information technology] and digital media candidates.

MCN:Are you finding that more companies are reaching out to T. Howard to look for qualified persons of color?

JP: Yes. Our relationship with the industry has grown tremendously, not only in the number of companies, but in terms of the depth of services that we’re providing. Before, they may have just taken a summer intern but now they’re calling to help fill positions beyond entry-level.

When we talk about diversity, it’s easy to say you’re going to commit to it, and it’s another thing to actually do it. Companies want someone who really gets them and knows what they need, so for us it’s about knowing the skills requirement and the culture of their organization. There are young people out there who are talented, are willing to sacrifice and work the extra hours and do what it takes to be successful.

MCN:How did the organization come to choose its honorees for the event?

JP: I’ve had my eye on HBO for a long time, because their programming has been excellent in terms of diversity. When you think of HBO, you think of things like When the Levees Broke, produced by Spike Lee; and, most recently, the story of Bessie Smith (Bessie), played by Queen Latifah. They have always been innovative, and now we have the opportunity to honor them.

With regards to ABC Entertainment, who hasn’t heard of their “Thank God Its Thursday” lineup of Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder and Grey’s Anatomy? Who hasn’t heard of American Crime, black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat? We really look to honor companies like ABC that have a shared commitment to diversity on and off the screen.

We also have great guest presenters in John Ridley and Russell Simmons.

MCN:Overall, how do you see the industry’s diversity efforts?

JP: The doors are opening and I think that we’re no longer typecasting. It’s really saying we need to hire a person for this position, and if a person of color meets those requirements and is able to do the job, that person will get there.

Hallmark Channel heads into the 2015-16 upfront season on a ratings roll. The network’s family-friendly lineup of original scripted series, movies and acquired fare is up 17% in the primetime ratings in first-quarter 2015 compared to a year ago. Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, recently spoke to Multichannel News programming editor R. Thomas Umstead about the upfront market and the network’s plans for the year. An edited transcript follows.

MCN:How will Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries follow up last year’s ratings performance with this year’s original programming lineup?

Bill Abbott: With Hallmark Channel, we’ll be back with 40-plus movies and four original primetime series, and all of our special events like Kitten Bowl. What I think is really beginning to differentiate us from everyone is our strategy around franchises and events. You’ve seen how well we’ve done with Christmas and the whole “Countdown to Christmas” campaign, but our brand is so conducive to other times of the year like Valentine’s Day, back-to-school and Mother’s Day — places where the Hallmark [Cards] brand has lived for 100 years. Our strategy is to lean into that as much as possible to develop those events and franchises that we take ownership of. It’s different that anything anybody else has on TV.

Then Hallmark Movies & Mysteries will have 20 plus original movies in 2015-16. These will be different from Hallmark Channel — where Hallmark Channel is more on the lighter side of entertainment, the mysteries will be more of the character-driven “mystery wheel” type of movies that are more in the vein of Columbo and Matlock then they are more-salacious storylines.

MCN:Will you look to add more scripted content to your lineup over the next year?

BA: We have our fourth scripted series in development launching in 2016 called Chesapeake Shores, which is based on a series of books [of the same name]. When Calls The Heart launches within weeks [April 25] and has been significantly enhanced. That show is under the radar and I think that it will be very successful. We’re currently airing The Good Witch, which is the highest-rated original series for us to date, and we’re thinking about bringing it back for a second year. Cedar Cove returns for season three this year and, given its track record, we anticipate that it will be back for 2016 as well.

MCN:Given the often-salacious nature of original shows on other networks, do advertisers remain receptive to Hallmark’s more family-friendly content?

BA: That’s always been an advantage for us. We can assure a buyer on the client side that, 24/7, you never have to screen our content or worry about getting a letter from an angry viewer — it’s always quality, family-friendly fare. I think moving forward, the fact that so much of our programming is original, differentiated and branded with Hallmark, like “Countdown To Christmas,” that our content is significantly more valuable.

MCN:What is your prediction going into the upfronts?

BA: I think the writing is on the wall to a degree that the upfront will be probably similar to last year in terms of volume. I’m not sure about price yet, but in our case, just like we’ve gone against the ratings trend, we’re pretty sure we’ll do well. We feel confident that both channels will be up double digits on the volume side and pricing will be a little bit above the marketplace, given the fact that we are so undervalued.

We offer such a great efficiency that on its own is a reason to move money to us, but then look at the great content that we have. We provide remarkable value to an advertiser. The marketplace will be what it is, but we’ll be in a different spot.