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The impasse in the negotiations between AT&T U-Verse and Crown Media, the parent company of the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movie Channel, over a new carriage agreement resulted in the two channels gong dark for 2.3 million subscribers at 12:01 AM EDT tonight when the two sides’ previous deal expired. Here are the statements by AT&T and Hallmark Channels:
AT&T: We are very disappointed that Hallmark has refused to provide AT&T and its customers with a fair deal one that is no worse than similarly-sized and smaller providers and refused to adhere to key obligations under our current deal. We offered to extend the current deal while talks continued, and Hallmark rejected that offer. We don’t want customers to lose their programming, but we believe strongly that our customers should not have to pay more than their fair share for Hallmark’s channels, which is exactly what Hallmark is demanding.
AT&T U-verse will replace the two Hallmark channels with a free preview of programming from Starz Kids & Family and Turner Classic Movies. According to Crown, negotiations hit a standstill as of Aug. 26.
Hallmark Channels is willing to re-start negotiations toward the distribution agreement as long as they are fair and in good faith. “I was stunned by the apparent disregard for the facts in AT&T’s recent statement regarding our negotiations,” said Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Hallmark Channels. ”However, if they are really serious, my team and I are ready for truly fair negotiations.”
Hallmark Channel plans to launch a daytime lifestyle programming block from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia on Sept 13 with the sixth season premiere of The Martha Stewart Show. In July, AT&T U-Verse was in a similar carriage dispute with AMC parent Rainbow Media, which threatened the current fourth season of Mad Men, but the two companies ultimately reached an agreement without dropping channels. At midnight tomorrow night, the deal between Disney and Time Warner Cable expires but the two sides over the weekend made it clear they are very close to a deal, so no blackout is expected their either.
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However long this blackout runs, it hurts Hallmark in two big ways. First, as the network is imminently changing from daytime hours of old series reruns to a lifestyle programming block (competing against Lifetime, Oxygen, Food Net, etc.), it’s lost valuable promotion, particularly on-air spots. And especially as it tries to convince the loyal (and angry) fans of its tired reruns that this new programming block worth it.
Additionally, Hallmark’s inability to manage its relationship with its distribution partner is a black eye to the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia folks, who are meticulous about such things. Not a good start of the programming block.
I agree and I’m sorry they don’t want to give Christian families shows that they can let their children watch without fear. Shame on you Hallmark and Martha Stewart
I think that they should keep both the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movie channel. They are both good family friendly channels! Instead they should drop the LOGO channel. There is no need for this type of programming service! If you want this channel it should be an extra cost channel like the playboy channel! That is my opinion.
We agree with all that you said. That type of channel should be
just like the playboy channel. We watched the Hallmark channels all the time over the other one’s.
NO! We should not be charged more. Personally, the Hallmark channel was practically the ONLY channel I watched and I miss it but I do not think it is fair to make us pay more than the other subscribers that have it!
I agree one hundred percent with you.
Love to know what Hallmark wants and what ATTU is willing to shell out. How much of the increase in Hallmark ask is due to the MSLO deal? While I tend to side with the distributors in these disagreements, I have a hard time backing a network when it just wants more based on a poor business decision. I mean, Hallmark’s finances and sub-fees stunk BEFORE they made this deal so Abbott and his half-wit board of directors must be banking on increased sub fees to cover the costs of the Martha arrangement. They blame their lack of rate increase success on their independent status and lack of leverage….but they should instead look at what the heck they are offering to operators and viewers that actually make them valuable and desirable. How are the small number of Martha viewers served by taking Martha off free broadcast tv and putting her on cable? We need MORE Martha? Stupid move all the way around. You deserve to come off, and let the other distributors follow suit. Bozos.
What! No Hallmark, that’s it I am cancelling.
tell them you will pay extra for YOU to get your Hallmark… I do not want to pay more..
I agree with you, I no longer have ATT U-Verse, but if I did, I would have cancelled, as well. Hallmark is one of my favorite channels, but currently, I can’t stand all of the sitcom re-runs. Bring back the movies!
Hallmark is one of my favorite family channels; why keep Martha if she has a low following? Good family tv is hard to find and now there is one less channel on U-Verse.
I have been a long time customer of both at&t and Hallmark . . . and I had the silly notion that they were both in favor of the family . . . and then they make a foolish move by removing the channels from the server! Millions of people are currently without Hallmark channels . . .why are the customers being treated with such contempt! If the records were checked, I also ordered DVD’s from Hallmark – a profitable business for Halmark, I would suspect! Also, as far as at&t is concerned, I have 2 cellphones, a home phone, my internet and tv . . . all with at&t. The loss of one customer would not be great, but I am sure the loss of many would have a great impact. You both would do well to resolve the issue!
I was deeply saddened to flip to my favorite show on Hallmark to find the channel was no longer available. I am contemplating going back to Comcast (tv, internet, phone). This really stinks.
It would be interesting to discover what the “unfair” parts of the negotiations are. Since we can only speculate it would all be here-say. Does anyone know the facts?
Also projecting your disappointment onto other channels like Logo us inappropriate. The programming you view is your choice and if you don’t like a channel, don’t watch it. I can argue that there is viable family friendly programming on both those channels as well as many others.
I agree with Wilsonium 100%. I don’t watch Hallmark because it was nothing but reruns of I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie. I do not want my bill with Uverse to go up for a channel I don’t view.
As for LOGO, it does have some interesting programming on there. It’s not gratuitous nudity (especially being on a cable channel) or constant sexual overtones (as Hallmark has Christian undertones), but has documentaries and things like how to cope with the taunting and hardships of being LGBT, as well as regular programming (sitcoms/dramas. (Been watching the news lately? This channel DOES some good)
It’s not any worse than the reality shows shown on VH1 or MTV
Anyway, I’m not some advocate for LOGO or Hallmark, but that’s why there is a variety of channels on there… you never know, might find something you like on there…
I can’t believe you dropped Hallmark, I am dropping AT&T
I bet you would not like it if they charged you more so you could get Hallmark
AT@t,,,,,,If you have enough money to give yourselves raises. you have plenty of money to keep Halmark on. We pay enough money for at@t. Where is all that money going? Into you big shots
Hallmark was our main channel and about the only reason to subscribe. Without Hallmark we will definately be leaving ATT.
We just had U-Verse installed today and much to my surprise, no Hallmark channels. I am looking at my channel selection guide and both are listed so I should have them, now I find out that these channels have not been available for 2 months. I think this is somewhat deceptive. Seriously considering calling Comcast to come back out and reinstall service. How can Comcast maintain a relationship with Hallmark but not AT&T? Doesn’t seem logical to me at all.
This email sounds just like my thoughts – EXACTLY! I recently had ATT U-verse installed. As I do every year around this time, I go and print out the Hallmark holiday movie/specials lineup. Thanksgiving Day I got ready to have a long weekend of movies and such. Being new to U, I had to find the channel(s) and guess what – they were not there!!!!! I was so upset that I called my sister and told her that I wanted them to come and get U out of my house…..I tried to email them and finding your way through the maze of “most asked Q&A” stuff is just about impossible. I have made peace, sort of, with not having Hallmark. However, from time to time, like now, it creeps back in my mind. Instead of trying to contact them, I asked the question and got this site. Bah humbug!!!!!!!!!
I like the Hallmark Channels but, somebody in at the Hallmark company didn’t get the message so I will pass it along to them: The recession is not over!
Most people don’t have a 10 figure income and therefore can not afford rate increases in all their utilities every year…. And most people don’t get a monthly pay increase, in fact the way that many people used to get a pay increase was to find a new job. Unfortunately in this economy getting a new job probably means taking a pay cut. (Sometimes keeping your current job requires taking a pay cut.) Because of this it is unrealistic to expect the people that actually watch TV to pay Hallmark more for the privilege.
Recently I had to reduce the amount that I pay AT&T for their service to my home, which means that I lost channels (a price that I was willing to pay in order to keep electricity, gas, water… to my home and food on my dinner table, though that didn’t give me enough to resume trash service, which I haven’t had for over a year). As a part of this change I lost the Hallmark Movie Channel, which I watched a lot. I had to do this in order to stay within my budget. If Hallmark keeps insisting on more money, instead of reducing their costs (like everyone else is having to do) then I will support AT&T’s decision to not renew their contract with them, their channels aren’t that important to me. (In fact I had been living without them for at least a year before I switched from c-band satellite to U-verse.)
I ask them to please agree to renew their contract at the price it was last year! If they don’t then maybe I’ll get their channels back after the recession is over and I have a full-time job, if they are still around.
Just a thought: Would they be able to keep their channels running if no company could afford to broadcast them?
Do we ever get those channels back and how come we stil l pay the same Doesn’t HAllmark relaize they lsot millions of viewers too. and less viewers mena less commercials
no hallmark and on att.com/fighting4you np longer a mention
of it only all the others we bought when we subscribed to.
Soon only junk will be left.
Now we see ATT U-Verse having problems with Scripps on the Food Network, HGTV, DIY, etc. Maybe it wasn’t all Hallmark, maybe there is some greed on the ATT side as well. My complaint is that we switched to save some money and were told that there would be no problems with Hallmark or the above Scripps channels only to find after the switch that they are gone. I am considering going back to Dish. At least you can believe them for the most part.
Hallmark is one of my favorite channels. This elimination seems like a bait and switch operation. When I purchased AT&T I checked to see if Hallmark was included. I feel abused as a consumer.
I so agree with so many that have posted here. Crown Media thought with Martha Stewart on board they would be able to demand a much high price. NOT. Now, I really like Martha, I really like the movies, and programing on the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movie Channel and I really, really miss them. But, I will not be held hostage and forced to pay even more than I already pay to be able to view these 2 channels. AT&T did over me a credit on my bill for the next 6 months to compensate me for the lose of these 2 channels. But, Crown Media, wakeup and smell the coffee! You are losing money everyday that AT&T is not allowed to carry these channels. How much have you lost to date? Bet it is almost as much as your were wanting in the increase. So far, how’s that working for ya’? Don’t you think it is time to swallow your pride and get back to the table with something reasonable that AT&T can bring back to their customers and get those channels back up and running on UVerse?
Recently I upgraded from u-200 to u-300 so I could watch the Hallmark Movie Channel.
Then after a short time (less than 2 weeks) Att-Uverse dropped both of these channels. I have all of the services that ATT provides but am seriously considering dropping U-verse because they dropped the Hallmark channels. Hallmark is one of the best family channels that was around…Now its gone…
What will it take for ATT and Hallmark to get together and provide
the kind of service customers demand
I watch(ed, now that it’s off uverse) Hallmark all the time for my favorite show: Little House on the Prairie! However, I also enjoy Logo’s programming like RuPaul’s Drag Race. It IS possible to watch both channels, and no, I don’t believe Logo is like the playboy channel… unless for some reason (maybe your reason?) you find the drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race as sexually appealing as the women of Playboy..?!… to each his/her own
This is a lose/lose/lose proposition for U-Verse, Hallmark and the viewers. Consumers can change providers; however, this situation is becomming common with all premium providers. I am just tired of being the pawn! The simpliest solution is for the providers to offer all channels and let the consumer choose how much they are willing to pay for particular channels al-a-carte. Then both the providers and the respective channels will know their worth.
Nothing like paying for a service only to discover that the vendor played bait and switch. Truely unethical behavior. Uverse has dropped Hallmark, HGTV, and Food Network among others. Looks like I will have to cancel the service and switch to another provider. Very sad, because I waited a long time for AT&T to offer Uverse in my area.
My husband and I just recently dropped our old cable provider for U-Verse. We decided to swith because my parents were subscribers and they were so pleased with it. However, on the day it was being connected I found out that the Hallmark channel had been canceled. Two days later they were pulling Food Network, Food Channel and HGTV. For me, the whole purpose of U-verse were these channels. Now my parents as well as my husband and I are seriously considering going back to our old cable provider. I enjoy Hallmark and watching it with my family especially during the HOLIDAYS!!! I’m very unhappy about not having this channel. Food Network, HGTV, Food Channel and GAC have been put back on the air. I would love to see Hallmark back on as well. We love U-Verse and all the Channels in HD… the color and clarity is so good…however, not having the Hallmark channel could be the deal breaker. Very dissappointed.
You need to realize that Hallmark is trying to up their rates unfairly. A disproportionate increase that makes it unfair to AT&T and AT&T’s customers. AT&T is sticking to their guns to fight for you, the consumer. Eventhough, as you can see from the posts here, it can be very risky to do so, since the customer tends to blame the carriers in these cases.
It may not get resolved until they have to renegotiate with other carriers, who will more than likely also balk at the increase. Then with the threat of multiple carriers dropping their product, hopefully there will be enough leverage to force Hallmark to be more reasonable.
I would like to express my disapointment that Hallmark channel ia no longer available to U-verse customers. There are so few family-friendly channels as it is. Why not get rid of some of the inane programming! At this time of the year we especially enjoyed the original movies and the holiday themed movies. We enjoyed Murder Book Club and the Love Come Softyl series. I hope you will do whatever possible to return Hallmark to us.
Thank you AT&T for dropping the Hallmark channel!
My mother in law loves this channel. Maybe she won’t stay as long this holiday. I can only hope and pray.