HALLMARK CHANNEL LAUNCHES NEW MULTI-PLATFORM PUBLIC AFFAIRS INITIATIVE, �WATCH WITH ME�
Promotes Family Co-Viewing and Connectivity
New York City, March 27, 2007 � TV is a factor in the household. It can have a fragmenting effect or, if used as a gathering point around great, high-quality stories, can help be the agent for sharing and trigger meaningful discussion. Hallmark Channel is launching a new national public affairs initiative aimed to stimulate family co-viewing and promote people to spend more time together, it was announced today by Laura Masse, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Hallmark Channel. The multi-platform initiative will live on-air, on-line, in-schools and in-markets. �Watch With Me,� and its follow-up companion, �Read With Me,� will be introduced in Washington, D.C. this May and then roll-out across the country.
�Research has shown that viewers believe it�s important to watch television together, but aren�t finding enough appropriate fare to satisfy this need,� says Masse. �Accordingly, Hallmark Channel launches an initiative that springs from the very heart of the brand, providing the high quality, family friendly programming people need, so they can spend more time where it matters most � together.�
Hallmark Channel will partner with advertisers, affiliates, schools and government organizations to raise awareness for the cause-related program. Components include co-branded PSA�s, school curriculum, local screenings and community events. �Watch With Me� and �Read With Me� will center around Hallmark�s programming � especially the classic literary titles which have been made into original movies for the network including �Moby Dick,� �Hamlet� and �Gulliver�s Travels.�
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 to a national audience of over 76 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,300 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the top 10 ad-supported cable networks in Prime Time and Total Day household ratings and is the nation�s leading network in providing quality family programming. Crown Media also operates a second 24-hour linear channel, Hallmark Movie Channel.
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