WILLIAM J. ABBOTT

President and Chief Executive Officer Crown Media Holdings, Inc. Crown Media Family Networks

William J. Abbott is president and chief executive officer of Crown Media Family Networks, home of and Hallmark Movie Channel, which is owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc. He oversees a team of seasoned executives who manage the day - to-day operations of all facets of both channels, including progra mming, marketing, ad sales, communications and media relations, distribution, finance, legal, and digital initiatives. Abbott is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of leadership experience in family television, the past ten of which have been at C rown Media Family Networks.

Under Abbott’s leadership, Hallmark Channel has cemented its position as a leading destination for quality family-friendly entertainment, including an ambitious slate of original movies, specials, and series, as well as some of television’s most beloved series like “Frasier”, “Golden Girls” , “Little House on the Prairie”, and “The Waltons”. Abbott was also responsible for negotiating a groundbreaking agreement with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO), which expanded Hallmark Channel’s footprint to include original lifestyle and home-oriented programming, an area in which the network continues to grow.

Additionally, Abbott spearheaded Hallmark Channel’s successful launch in high definition; oversaw the unprecedented growth o f sibling network Hallmark Movie Channel, one of the fastest growing cable networks on television; and piloted the development and implementation of Hallmark Channel’s signature, year -round marketing and programming initiative, “Countdown to the Holidays”. During his tenure the network continues to set record -high ratings, especially for its immensely popular holiday programming.

Prior to being named president and CEO, Abbott was the company’s executive vice president of advertising sales. Under his stewar dship, the annual advertising revenues for Hallmark Channel grew from $10.2 million to $223 million, setting the network apart as an industry leader. As executive vice president of advertising sales, he oversaw offices in New York, , Chicago and Atlanta, and was responsible for all of the national advertising sales operations for the networks, Internet services and digital network development.

Abbott and his team have positioned Hallmark Channel extremely well within the ad sales community where it is known for its high -quality family programming, continuous top 10 ratings leadership in C3 audience retention and length -of-tune among all ad-supported cable networks.

Among his many achievements, in 2008 Abbott led the ad sales team to secure the f irst Upfront deal of the ‘08-‘09 season. The multi -million dollar deal with ad agency Starcom included multiple clients across the agency and featured a multi -platform promotion, “Every Day is a Holiday,” which featured on-air and online presence. The part nership allowed the agency’s

(more) CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS/WILLIAM J. ABBOTT – Page 2 clients to choose a specific time of year important to their brands and products in order to break through the clutter with customized packages, which included vignettes.

In January 2004, Abbott launched the “Sponsorship Solutions Unit,” a revolutionary department that provides advertisers with unique opportunities to prominently showcase their message within Hallmark Channel programming. One of the Unit’s most successful ventures has been its “movie entitlements,” which allow advertisers to platform their brands and products in programming with a reduced commercial load that is proven to increase viewer engagement and length-of-tune.

Abbott has been with Crown Media Family Networks since 2000 after serving as senior vice president of advertising sales for Fox Family Worldwide where he was responsible for advertising sales activity for Fox Family Channel and Network. He worked in a variety of advertising sales and research positions within Fox Family Worldwide (and under its previous operation as The Family Channel) since 1988. His experience includes both cable and broadcast television advertising sales, having represented Fox Family Channel, Fox Kids Network and The Family Channel.

Abbott’s additional experience includes positions with CBS Radio Networks, Seltel, Inc. and Nadler & Larimer Advertising. His industry accolades include being named to the CableFax 100 list in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

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