HALLMARK CHANNEL ENTERS MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION AND WILL PRODUCE AND TELEVISE 'NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING,' PREMIERING DECEMBER 2

At President's Park, Holiday Season Comes Alive with the Flip of a Switch

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, July 27 -- Hallmark Channel has entered into a multi-year partnership with the National Parks Foundation to enrich, support, and grow awareness of the country's extensive system of national parks. As part of the initiative Hallmark Channel will become the exclusive television home of the "National Christmas Tree Lighting," one of the nation's oldest and most revered holiday traditions. Crown Media Productions will produce the special which will premiere Friday, December 2 (8 p.m. ET/PT). Announcement of the partnership was made today at the Television Critics Association gathering in Beverly Hills.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the First Family will commemorate their eighth and final trip of this presidency to President's Park -- a national park on the Ellipse of the South Lawn of the White House -- to light the giant living tree. The national tree, a 40-year-old Colorado blue spruce will be decorated with tens of thousands of brightly lit computer chips. Simultaneously, the First Family will also light the other 56 trees along the fabled Christmas Pathway of Peace, each tree representing a state and territory in the U.S., as well as Washington D.C.

After years of producing the program for public broadcasting, the National Parks Foundation has made Hallmark Channel its TV home for this and future events that celebrate the nation's 410 national parks.

"The history of the lighting of the National Christmas Tree is intertwined with the history of America," said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Crown Media Family Networks, parent of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

"Through peace and war, in times of national celebration or sometime national mourning, Americans have gathered together to celebrate the holiday season with this historic event. It's a privilege to bring one of the world's true heritage brands, Hallmark, into partnership with the National Parks Foundation. In addition to celebrating this cherished tradition, we will be celebrating the entire system of magnificent national parks and building awareness about the importance of protecting and preserving these precious natural resources." The National Christmas Tree lighting tradition began in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white and green, as a local choir and the U.S. Marine Band performed. Modern celebrations of the National Christmas Tree Lighting bring A-list celebrities and global dignitaries together with citizens of the world in a revered ceremony that offers a universal message of hope, peace and joy.

The National Christmas Tree lighting tradition began in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse to light a 48-foot fir tree decorated with 2,500 electric bulbs in red, white and green, as a local choir and the U.S. Marine Band performed. Modern celebrations of the National Christmas Tree Lighting bring A-list celebrities and global dignitaries together with citizens of the world in a revered ceremony that offers a universal message of hope, peace and joy.

ABOUT CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS

Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., housing cable's leading family friendly networks, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as well as their corresponding digital extensions HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMoviesandMysteries.com. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 90 million subscribers and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 66 million homes in the United States. Hallmark Channel features an ambitious slate of original content, including movies; scripted series, such as When Calls the Heart, and Good Witch; annual specials like Hero Dog Awards and Kitten Bowl; world premieres of Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations, and a daily 2-hour lifestyle show, Home & Family. Hallmark Channel is also home to annual holiday franchise, Countdown to Christmas, featuring a lineup of 24/7 holiday programming. Rounding out the networks' lineup are television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Middle, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is a 24-hour digital cable network featuring a unique mix of original movies and acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and mystery genres. The network also features its own annual holiday programming franchise, the Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas, as well as presentations from the award-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame library. Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat