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NEW YORK and STUDIO CITY, Calif., March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP)—the leading media and marketing company serving American women—and Crown Media Family Networks, home of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, today announced an exciting new partnership anchored by an exclusive cable syndication agreement bringing award-winning lifestyle program The Better Show to Hallmark Channel's lineup of daytime lifestyle programming.
"The Better Show is a strong addition to our daytime slate in that it perfectly aligns with our brand and with what our viewers tune in to see on Hallmark Channel," said Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Crown Media Family Networks. "The Hallmark Channel and Meredith brands have in common a legacy of quality, family-oriented content. We look forward to building on this relationship and exploring other synergistic opportunities down the road."
Produced by Meredith Video Studios (www.meredithvideostudios.com), The Better Show currently airs every weekday in more than 160 markets reaching 80 percent of U.S. television households, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia, the country's top four television markets. The Better Show consistently ranks No. 1 in its time period in many markets and, as a result of its continuing success, Meredith recently renewed The Better Show for a seventh season.
Beginning this fall, The Better Show will air every weekday on the Hallmark Channel during its daytime programming block, which also includes Home & Family and Marie. Each episode will air on the Hallmark Channel a day following the original nationally syndicated show. It is the first cable network distribution agreement for Meredith Video Studios.
"We are excited to be a part of the Hallmark Channel lineup and think this is the perfect vehicle to increase awareness of The Better Show to viewers and marketers alike," said Kieran Clarke, Executive Vice President of Meredith Video Studios, who noted that The Better Show recently aired its 1200th episode. "This national cable agreement is yet another indicator that The Better Show is one of the major television syndication success stories of the last decade. In addition to providing useful, interesting and exciting content to viewers, this collaboration offers expanded value to advertisers and product integration partners via the significant national exposure the Hallmark Channel will bring."
The Better Show is a contemporary information-talk show that leverages the expertise of Meredith's expansive content portfolio, including the Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Family Circle, More and Fitness brands. The show offers a great mix of editorial and branded entertainment that attracts an audience for beauty, fashion, DIY, retail, food and packaged goods advertisers. Especially popular with viewers are The Better Show's inspiring celebrity interviews and cooking segments with celebrity chefs. Recent guests have included Jessica Alba, Kevin Costner, Eva Longoria and Rocco DiSpirito.
ABOUT CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS
Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which houses Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 87 million subscribers in the U.S. and Hallmark Movie Channel in 50 million homes. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls,Frasier, and Happy Days. Hallmark Channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot, and Marie, a one-hour talk show hosted by iconic entertainer, Marie Osmond. Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, is one of America's fastest-growing cable networks and provides family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library. In addition, Crown Media Family Networks includes the online offerings of HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMovieChannel.com.
For more information, please visit www.crownmediapress.com
Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter (Join the conversation at #HeartofTV), Pinterest, GetGlue, YouTube
Hallmark Movie Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest
ABOUT MEREDITH VIDEO STUDIOS
Meredith Video Studios (MVS) – part of the Meredith Local Media Group – is a full-service, international, award-winning video development, production and multi-platform distribution company. MVS produces entertaining and informative videos that bring brands to life through sight, sound and motion. Its Studio 22 facility and crew is state of the art and outfitted with the most current technology.
MVS produces custom video for Television, Web (custom sites), Social and Mobile applications, as well as Branded Entertainment Webisodes and Product/Brand Integration within Web programming and Television via MVS' nationally syndicated daily lifestyle show, The Better Show.
ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION
Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP; www.meredith.com) is the leading media and marketing company serving American women. Meredith features multiple well-known national brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Allrecipes.com and EveryDay with Rachael Ray – and local television brands in fast-growing markets.
The Meredith Local Media Group owns or operates 13 television stations that reach nearly 10 percent of U.S. television households: WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta; WPCH-TV (TBS), Atlanta; KPHO-TV (CBS), Phoenix; KPDX-TV (MYN), Portland, OR; KPTV (FOX), Portland, OR; WFSB-TV (CBS), Hartford-New Haven, CT; WSMV-TV (NBC) Nashville, TN; KCTV (CBS), Kansas City, MO; KSMO (MYN), Kansas City, MO; WHNS-TV (FOX), Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC-Asheville, NC; WNEM-TV (CBS), Flint-Saginaw, MI; KVVU-TV (FOX), Las Vegas, NV; and WSHM, (CBS), Springfield, MA.
SOURCE Meredith Corporation