BETH STERN, JAMES DENTON RETURN AS CO-HOSTS FOR 6TH ANNUAL 'AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION HERO DOG AWARDS(R)' ON HALLMARK CHANNEL

Two-Hour Special Premieres October 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Beverly Hills, CA - July 27,2016 - Hallmark Channel and American Humane Association announced today that TV personality, author, and animal welfare advocate Beth Stern ("Kitten Bowl") and actor James Denton (Hallmark Channel's "Good Witch," "Devious Maids," "Desperate Housewives") will take the stage for the third consecutive year as co-hosts of the sixth Annual "American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards(R)." The event is the premiere award ceremony honoring heroic canines.

The two-hour special tapes at the landmark Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on September 10 and is scheduled to premiere on Hallmark Channel Friday, October 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The announcement was made today to a semi-annual gathering of the Television Critics Association in Beverly Hills.

"'Hero Dog Awards,' a cornerstone of Hallmark Channel's cross-platform pet advocacy initiative, has become a national platform to recognize the many contributions dogs make to our lives and celebrate their remarkable stories of bravery, loyalty, and unconditional love," said Bill Abbott, President & Chief Executive Officer, Crown Media Family Networks. "Beth and James have brought tremendous passion, warmth, and entertainment value to the show and we are so pleased to welcome them back as co-hosts."

"We're so thrilled to announce animal-lover Katharine McPhee as musical headliner at this year's Hero Dog Awards, and to welcome back Beth Stern and James Denton as co-hosts for their third consecutive year," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association. "Their tremendous talents will undoubtedly make for a special evening of entertainment. But most important, the participation of these compassionate celebrities will help bring even more attention to the extraordinary ways that dogs enrich our lives."

The American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, presented for six years by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, shines a spotlight on our canine companions and the countless ways they enrich, protect, and save lives every day. Each year, the American public and a special celebrity judging panel select eight special dogs from a national pool of nominees - one in each of the following eight categories:

· Search & Rescue

· Military

· Law Enforcement

· Arson

· Guide/Hearing

· Service

· Therapy

· Emerging Hero - A category recognizing ordinary pets who have done extraordinary things.

The finalists and their handlers are flown to Los Angeles where they are feted at a red-carpet, star-studded awards gala. The evening culminates with the announcement of the top American Hero Dog of the Year. For more information about this year's finalists and to vote for the 2016 American Hero Dog, please visit www.herodogawards.org.

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 89 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 "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", "Last Man Standing", "Little House on the Prairie", and "Frasier". Hallmark Cards, Inc. 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 AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION

American Humane Association is the country's first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more information, please visit www.americanhumane.org. To inquire about Hero Dog sponsorship opportunities, please email Mari Harner at marih@americanhumane.org.

ABOUT LOIS POPE, THE LOIS POPE LIFE FOUNDATION, INC., AND LIFE (LEADERS IN FURTHERING EDUCATION)

As one of America's leading philanthropists, Lois Pope has positively impacted the lives of individuals at the local, national and international levels. She has established three separate organizations dedicated to helping those in need. These organizations are the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc., Leaders In Furthering Education (LIFE), and the Disabled Veterans' Life Memorial Foundation. For more than 20 years she has been the driving force behind the Lois Pope LIFE Center at the University of Miami School of Medicine, The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, and a groundbreaking new program with American Humane Association in Palm Beach County. Lois Pope has recently donated two Lois Pope Red Star Rescue Vehicles. Each rescue vehicle is a 50-foot long response unit, complete with a Ford F-350 truck and trailer, which is specifically designed and outfitted to provide an array of animal emergency services and cruelty responses within the region. Mrs. Pope recently saw the completion of a decade's long dream - the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which was dedicated by President Obama in Washington, DC on Sunday, October 5, 2014. The Memorial will forever stand as a reminder to the public and legislators of the courage and sacrifices of the four million living disabled veterans and all those who died before them for the need to be vigilant in assuring their support, as well as being aware of the human cost of war. A mother and a grandmother, Lois has trained for and completed five New York City Marathons.