The initiative includes Australian theme nights - romance, mystery, thriller, theatricals and mini-series programming - on top of more traditional offerings from Hallmark's library of major award-winning movies and mini series.
"It (Australia) represents an audience encompassing key demographic groups we wish to attract with our programming. By engaging this audience, we will also generate strong interest from the advertising community and this relaunch strongly positions the Hallmark Channel to achieve these goals in this territory, said David Evans, chief executive officer of Crown Media Holdings, Hallmark's parent company.The relaunch comes about a year after Hallmark revamped its programming strategy to cover a wider variety of shows, from movies and Hollywood blockbusters to dramas, mini-series, theatrical packages and programmes for children.
Barry Frey, Crown Media International senior vice-president and managing director of advertising sales, said the change in strategy was paying dividends.
"We're now recording more consistent ratings over time. We were a bit erratic before because some movies proved to be a big hit among audiences, while some others didn't do as well as we had initially expected. With the new programming line-up, we have built a more loyal following of viewers, Frey said.
