THE NUMBER ONE HOLIDAY DESTINATION ON TELEVISION IS HALLMARK CHANNEL, WHICH RETURNS THIS SEASON WITH "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS," THE MOST ANTICIPATED HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING EVENT OF THE YEAR

Network Will Produce 12 New Movies of Christmas Again This Year

Hallmark Channel's beloved "Countdown To Christmas," the #1 most treasured holiday destination by television viewers, returns and is bigger than ever with 12 new movies of Christmas and more than 1200 hours of quality family-friendly holiday themed programming. Capitalizing on the success of last year's "Countdown To Christmas," where Hallmark Channel claimed the #1 movie of the week for seven consecutive weeks, the network will once again gift viewers with holiday-themed programming 24/7 beginning Saturday, November 1. As the industry's holiday leader in original movies, specials and fan favorites, Hallmark Channel will build upon the success of last year's robust campaign and bring audiences 12 new Original Holiday Movie World Premieres, a Hallmark Hall of Fame World Premiere and an even larger collection of viewers' favorite holiday movies and specials.

"Hallmark Channel is television's #1 holiday destination," said Michelle Vicary, EVP, Programming for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. "Hallmark Channel has historically delivered the highest-rated Original holiday movies of any network and our audience yearns for these films year-round because of the inspiring and delightful storylines that bring the magic of the holiday season home consistently," Vicary concluded.

In 2013, the 12 "Countdown To Christmas" Original Movie Premieres averaged a 3.3 household rating, marking a 27% increase over 2012 and propelling Hallmark Channel to rank #1 among households, women 25-54 and total viewer rating for weekend primetime. Hallmark Channel also debuted 12 Original Holiday Movie World Premieres last year, all of which propelled the network to rank #1 among HH and total viewers for weekend primetime. In primetime delivery, Hallmark Channel's 2013 "Countdown to Christmas" marked double digit growth compared to the same period in 2012 (11/2-12/15/13 vs. 11/3-12/16/12) with a 21% increase in HH, 24% increase in W18-49, 11% increase in W25-54, 20% increase in A18-49, 11% increase in A25-54, and 23% increase in P2+ delivery. In total, Hallmark Channel's 2013 "Countdown to Christmas" programming campaign reached over 58.9 million unduplicated viewers.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 86 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of TV movies; original scripted series, including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart; specials such as Kitten Bowl; as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. The channel is also home to Daytime Emmy-nominated lifestyle program, Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which houses Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 86 million subscribers in the U.S. and Hallmark Movie Channel in 53 million homes. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, specials such as Kitten Bowl, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. Hallmark Channel is also home to original scripted series, including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart, and Daytime Emmy-nominated lifestyle program, Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios California lot. Hallmark Movie Channel is one of America's fastest-growing cable networks and provides family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library. In addition, Crown Media Family Networks includes the online offerings of HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMovieChannel.com.

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