HALLMARK CHANNEL AND BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY JOIN FORCES TO STOP THE KILLING OF CATS AND DOGS IN SHELTERS AND INSPIRE PEOPLE TO ADOPT

Network Becomes Best Friends' First National Media Partner

Hallmark Channel, the Heart of TV, and Best Friends Animal Society, the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters, are teaming up to save the lives of thousands of animals in America's shelters by helping them find forever homes. The network has been named Best Friends' first national media partner and will support the organization's mission to save the lives of shelter pets and spread the word about the millions of wonderful cats and dogs who are waiting to be adopted, and ultimately, "Save Them All."

The partnership will be a key tentpole in Hallmark Channel's Pet Project, the network's cross-platform advocacy initiative, and will include on-air elements, public service announcements (PSAs), print ads, and grassroots efforts. Hallmark Channel and Best Friends' collaboration will make its public debut in a full page ad featuring Shameless actress, Emmy Rossum, in the October 30th issue of The Hollywood Reporter (on newsstands today). In addition, Michelle Beadle, ESPN host and Best Friends supporter, will headline Hallmark Channel's and Best Friends' first joint PSA, which will air on the network's linear and digital platforms.

"We share Best Friends' passion for and commitment to animal welfare and are incredibly honored to be named their first-ever national media partner," said Bill Abbott, president & CEO, Crown Media Family Networks. "There are so many loving cats and dogs in shelters across the country who deserve a home and it is our hope that, in supporting Best Friends' efforts, we can move the needle and save lives."

"We are thrilled to be part of Hallmark Channel's Pet Project," said Gregory Castle, co-founder and CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. "Having a national media partner in the Hallmark Channel will help amplify our voice and reach millions of more people. With their help, we will truly see a day within our life time when every adoptable shelter pet finds a permanent, loving home."

Hallmark Channel and Best Friends have already been working together in an unofficial capacity for several years, with monthly segments on the network's daily 2-hour lifestyle program, Home & Family. Currently, Hallmark Channel's Pet Project and Best Friends are commemorating national Adopt a Shelter Dog Month by spotlighting a new shelter dog or puppy on Home & Family everyday throughout October.

ABOUT HALLMARK CHANNEL

Hallmark Channel is Crown Media Family Networks' flagship 24-hour cable television network, distributed nationwide in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to 91 million homes. The country's leading destination for quality family entertainment, Hallmark Channel delivers on the 100-year legacy of the Hallmark brand. In addition to its signature original movies, the network features an ambitious lineup of other original content, including scripted primetime series, such as Cedar Cove, Good Witch, and When Calls the Heart; annual specials like Kitten Bowl and Hero Dog Awards and; a daily 2-hour lifestyle show, Home & Family. Additionally, in November 2014, Hallmark Channel became the exclusive home to world premiere presentations of the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise. Dedicated to helping viewers celebrate life's special moments, Hallmark Channel also offers such annual holiday programming events as Countdown to Christmas and Countdown to Valentine's Day. Rounding out the network's diverse slate are television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Middle, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. Complementing Hallmark Channel's light-hearted and comedic fare, sibling network Hallmark Movies & Mysteries presents a unique mix of content that is more dramatic in tone, including original movies and such acquired series Matlock, Murder She Wrote, and Hart to Hart.

Crown Media Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWN), owns and operates Crown Media Family Networks.

For more information, please visit www.crownmediapress.com

Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube

ABOUT HALLMARK CHANNEL'S PET PROJECT

Hallmark Channel's Pet Project is a cross platform on-and off-air campaign devoted to celebrating the joy and enrichment pets bring to our lives, while raising awareness of this country's epidemic of pet homelessness and promoting adoption. The campaign's programming elements include annual specials like Hero Dog Awards, Kitten Bowl, and Paw Star Game, as well as original movies like Puppy Love and My Boyfriends' Dogs that convey pet adoption messages. In addition, Hallmark Channel's Pet Project features social media outreach, a resource-rich website, and grass roots pet adoption initiatives. Leveraging its digital, social, and linear platforms, Hallmark Channel's Pet Project also partners with such national non-profit organizations as American Humane Association, North Shore Animal League America, and Best Friends Animal Society, to inform the public about the many wonderful animals in shelters across the country and mobilize them to adopt their next pet.

For more information, please visit http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/petproject

ABOUT BEST FRIENDS

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, adoption centers and spay and neuter facilities in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with more than 1,300 rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to an estimated 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All(R).

To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends