Hallmark Movie Channel Sets April HD Debut

Telefilm Service Aims For One Major Event Per Quarter

By Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 2/10/2008 9:01:00 PM

Hallmark Movie Channel's high-definition simulcast will debut Wednesday, April 2, with a new on-air look for the existing channel, a library full of Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-TV flicks such as Sarah Plain and Tall and a strategy that includes one programming “event” per quarter.

(Editor's note: this article originally reported that the channel would launch on DirecTV. That was incorrect, and a correction will be published in next week's edition of Multichannel News.)

The first such primetime event for the network, now in about 10 million homes as a four-year-old standard-definition spinoff of Hallmark Channel, is the four-hour miniseries Son of the Dragon, a retelling of the Thief of Baghdad story starring David Carradine, John Reardon, Rupert Graves and Desiree Siahann.

David Kenin, executive vice president of programming for the Hallmark cable services, said the RHI Entertainment-produced Son of the Dragon was originally shot for the channel before plans were laid for the HD service. But it was found to fit in nicely.

“It's big, it was shot overseas, it has a huge lush look to it,” Kenin said. “It is a good-looking picture.”

Kenin said the relaunched Hallmark Movie Channel will sport new on-air colors and announcements, but remains committed to offering whole-family movies that appeal to a broad audience that's not really interested in edgy programming.

The channel worked out an acquisition, for an undisclosed but “substantial” sum, from the Hallmark Cards business of virtually every Hallmark Hall of Fame movie after it airs on CBS, Kenin said. Those will be shown on Sunday nights.

Theatrical films earmarked for the HD service include Alex & Emma, The Phantom of the Opera, Never Cry Wolf, Escape to Witch Mountain, Annie and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

The service also will draw on original movies that performed well on Hallmark Channel, such as The Christmas Card, McBride and Jane Doe.

Future programming events likely will come around holidays, including July 4 and Labor Day. Kenin said the nature of those events will depend partly on how well Son of the Dragon performs, but the channel is looking at a couple of possibilities already, which he wouldn't identify.

Janice Arouh, senior vice president of network distribution and service for Hallmark, said affiliates have committed to launch Hallmark Movie Channel HD in the second quarter, and said the new HD service will be part of overall contract renewals for Hallmark Channel as well. Current affiliates that carry Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel will get the HD feed at no additional cost, she said.

There has been demand from affiliates for family-oriented movie product in high- definition, according to Arouh.

Kenin said Hallmark Channel itself will inevitably need to launch an HD version, but probably not this year.