Hallmark Channel

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Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel Logo
Launched September 1, 1997
Owned by International: Sparrowhawk Media Group
United States: Crown Media Holdings as of Discovery Communications Inc.
Audience share 0.6% (2006-01, [1])
Headquarters Newark, New Jersey, United States
Formerly called ACTS, VISN; Faith and Values Channel; Odyssey Channel
Sister channel(s) Hallmark Movie Channel
Website Hallmark Channel International
Hallmark Channel United States
Availability
Satellite
Dish Network Channels 185, 896
DirecTV Channel 312
Sky Angel Channel 9729
Astro (Malaysia) Channel 702
TrueVisions (Thailand) Channel 16
Digiturk Channel 13
Dialog TV Channel 38 (Testing)
Dream (Philippines) Channel 18
TotalTV (Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia) Channel 61
SKY Latin America Channel 420
SKY Italy Channel 136
DStv Channel 108
Cable
US cable systems Check local listings
now TV (Hong Kong) Channel 123
Starhub (Singapore) Channel 17
SkyCable Gold (Philippines) Channel 37
Global Destiny (Philippines) Channel 38
TrueVisions (Thailand) Channel 16
First Media (Indonesia) Channel 299
UCS (Bangladesh) Channel 47

The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts in over 100 countries. They specialize in series and movies that are appropriate for the whole family. In all countries except the United States they are owned by Sparrowhawk Media Group. The Hallmark name is licensed from Hallmark Cards, Inc.[1]

The Hallmark Channel in the United States is owned by Crown Media Holdings, in turn majority-owned by Hallmark Cards.

Contents

[edit] The Hallmark Channel USA

Logo, as the Odyssey Network
Logo, as the Odyssey Network

In America, the network began as a merger between VISN (the Vision Interfaith Satellite Network), and the ACTS (Amercian Christian Television Station) Network. The combined network initially ran under both names, but was later named the Faith and Values Channel, and originally broadcast religious programming only. More secular programming was started in 1996 when the channel was renamed the Odyssey Channel, using the domain name Odysseyfamily.com for posting TV listings. Hallmark Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company bought stakes in Odyssey in November 1998.After Odyssey Network shut down Henson's half of the channel Hallmark took over.The channel was officially renamed on August 5, 2001.

Today, Hallmark specializes in airing past segments from their parent company's Hallmark Hall of Fame anthology series, which features made-for-television movies and miniseries, most of them from the series' CBS run. Older shows, such as The Waltons, 7th Heaven, Little House on the Prairie, M*A*S*H, Gilligan's Island, Matlock, The Brady Bunch, Diagnosis Murder, Murder, She Wrote, and Walker, Texas Ranger are rerun many times a day and replaced the religious programming that aired on the channel for over a decade. Other shows, such as JAG, Hogan's Heroes, Family Ties, Nanny and the Professor, Gunsmoke, Bewitched, Perry Mason, and Judging Amy, have rerun briefly on the network. Hallmark began airing its own weekday morning show entitled New Morning in 2002 and added a Sunday morning version hosted by Naomi Judd entitled Naomi's New Morning in 2005.

In January 2007, Hallmark Channel dropped the Hallmark crown from its logo, but still uses it in certain places on-air, and in other countries.

In February 2008, the Hillary Clinton campaign purchased an hour of Hallmark Channel's primetime under a paid programming arrangement on February 4, 2008, the day before the multi-state "Super Tuesday (2008)" primaries. [2]

[edit] Current programming

Hallmark Channel Headquarters, Studio City, CA
Hallmark Channel Headquarters, Studio City, CA

[edit] Hallmark Channel Around the World

[edit] Hallmark Channel Australia

In Australia, the channel supplements its United States programming with drama from Australia's largest producer of TV drama, Southern Star

[edit] Hallmark Channel UK

Main article: Hallmark Channel (UK)

The British version of Hallmark runs mostly United States imports, including TV movies and drama such as House, Judging Amy, The District and the Law & Order franchise. The channel also runs the BBC drama Spooks. Also, Australian drama series McLeod's Daughters has aired on the channel since its launch in 2001.

[edit] Hallmark Channel Italy


The Italian Hallmark Channel channel is a family-friendly one. It broadcasts United States imports, like Judging Amy and 7th Heaven as well as other family series (like McLeod's Daughters, etc.).

[edit] Hallmark Channel Asia



7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm
Monday Judging Amy ER Without A Trace The Oprah Winfrey Show
Tuesday The Starter Wife
Wednesday Law & Order
Thursday 3 lbs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Movie
Friday Movie
Saturday Movie Without A Trace(Repeat)
Sunday The Oprah Winfrey Show

COLOUR KEY : Drama, Variety, News / Current Affairs , Reality, Comedy, Talk Shows

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Sparrowhawk Media
  2. ^ Clinton Buys Block on Hallmark Mediaweek 2008-01-31

[edit] External links