"WHEN CALLS THE HEART" SEASON 2 STRIKES A CHORD WITH VIEWERS ON-AIR AND IN SOCIAL

ORIGINAL SCRIPTED SERIES MAKES HALLMARK CHANNEL MOST-WATCHED NET ON SATURDAY NIGHTS IN THE 8-9PM TIME PERIOD AND BECOMES NETWORK'S MOST SOCIAL PROGRAM EVER

Season Finale Scores 2.1 HH Rating and 2.1 Total Viewers

Hallmark Channel's original scripted series, When Calls the Heart, culminated a winning second season on Saturday night with the finale garnering a 2.1 HH rating and 2.1 million total viewers on a Live+3 basis. Additionally, the season 2 closer elevated Hallmark Channel to be the most watched network in the 8pm time period among HHs and total viewers.

In addition to tuning in, the show's ardent fans, who call themselves "Hearties", took to social media in record numbers making the finale the #1 Tweeted episodic series premiere during Saturday prime. Moreover, the episode generated the most social engagement and highest tweets (81,368) - 89% of which contained #Hearties - of any Hallmark Channel original series, movie, or special premiere in network history.

Over the course of its 8-week sophomore run, which kicked off on April 25th, the program averaged a 2.0 HH rating, as well as 1.7 households and 2 million total viewers, boosting Hallmark Channel to become the most-watched cable network on Saturday nights in the 8-9pm time period. The season's premiere and encore telecasts combined also reached a total of 8.5 million unduplicated viewers.

"This weekend's strong closing performance of When Calls the Heart, Season 2, is proof positive that our unique brand of storytelling in original scripted series is resonating with viewers in a big way," said Michelle Vicary, executive vice president, programming & network publicity. "We want to thank the show's deeply loyal and passionate fan base for making Hallmark Channel number 1 on Saturday nights over the past 8 weeks."

In When Calls the Heart: With All My Heart, Elizabeth and Jack face a life-threatening experience together and finally discover the truth about what has been keeping them apart. Later, all of Hope Valley witnesses a shocking arrest and an unexpected proposal.

Source: Nielsen, June 8-June 14, Live+3 ratings and impressions; Nielsen Social Guide.

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 84 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.

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