Hallmark Channel's Sales Staff Grows

Cable World, April 22, 2002

Byline: Jon Lafayette

With its distribution and ratings mushrooming, Hallmark Channel is beefing up its ad sales staff.

"We've reached a new level in terms of who we're competing against in every area, and so we need to cover more clients on the increased opportunities that they can gain by associating themselves with our network and our brand," says Bill Abbott, EVP-national ad sales at Hallmark.

Hallmark named Cindy Kelly VP-New York sales and new media. Kelly had been an account executive for AOL Time Warner and Cartoon Network. The network also opened a Detroit office, headed by director of Detroit advertising sales Michelle Castle, and hired account executives Jennifer Conrick and Cathy Hicklin.

The hires increase the size of the network ad sales team to 25.

Abbott expects the network's ad sales to double this year. "We'll be a top ten network, and we need to be positioned for that day," he says.