Studio City-based Crown Media Holdings, Inc., the owner and operator of the Hallmark Channel has reported that the Hallmark Channel, achieved its best ever ratings quarter in the third quarter of this year. Network officials attributed the performance to the channel’s slate of movies and scheduling tactics. In this quarter, Hallmark ranked number two in adults 18-49, and number three in adults 25-53, in terms of year-to-year total day growth among all non-news ad supported cable networks. In the third quarter of 2005 versus third quarter 2004, the Hallmark Channel delivered several all-time-high performances in prime time growth, including: a 1.1 household rating, up 22 percent from the previous year. In addition to its record third-quarter figures, the Channel also experienced its best-ever September, racking up a 1.0 household rating and being seen in 721,000 homes, up 25 percent and 41 percent year-to-year, respectively. The Hallmark Channel and its parent company, Crown Media have previously announced that they are exploring strategic alternatives for a possible sale. An investment bank has been hired to help them conduct a search for a possible buyer.
