Next year. Business wars is going even bigger starting January. Fifth. Will bringing you knew longer episodes every Wednesday with even more inside stories on the most outrageous and intense corporate rivalries of all time. listen, a business wars every Wednesday, starting January Fifth, on apple podcast Amazon music The wonder: app join one plus, to listen a business wars one week early, an ad free wondering at download under YAP in your apple or Google play Mobile appstore today, it's Christmas eve. Nineteen fifty New York City, sixty year old, J C Hall, sits in the corner of studio, H, Rockefeller Centre. He leaned back in his canvasback directors chair his

browse, raised sceptically, there's a sea, king feeling in his stomach what its started is a seat of doubt. A few hours ago is now Frazier of uncertainty, Paul and his two brothers founded what is now called hallmark cards in nineteen o, seven they started selling postcards in a single storefront in Norfolk Nebraska. Now it's the pre empt reading card company in the country for the last three years the company has been sponsoring radio plays, but tonight there make their television debut presenting the first opera performed, live on television. All its brothers thought them. To tv was too risky, but hall. likes to innovate as watches the chaos unfold around him, though starting to think his brothers were right, a boy around twelve runs by with no shirt. His mother follows waving: clothing, yours

six minutes ago, Hall checked his watch their scheduled go, live on air and under fifteen minutes he turns the executive sitting. Next to it are you sure you're gonna pull this off is not time left the executive smiled tightly absolute? played. No regional worry, I thought I overheard someone say that no one even got the music until yesterday that can't post may be true. Can it the executive branches? Where you know, writers. They always bush a deadline, but all our performers. rose there ready before in response, the boy and by again and this time wearing pants halls in his seat he's contemplating marching over in demanding they take hallmarks name off the production when it. we're balding man and suspenders wants by waiting a clipboard places.

One places within seconds musicians, perfect Worse and crew. Taken their spots, the boy even fully in costume, negative looks at home and wings. don't you we always pulling off this day Manager holds up his hand. His fingers spread wide and we're alive in five for three, He stopped saying the numbers out loud just mouse, the last two seconds he points and the honor sign lights up the host Epps forward, speaking directly and a camera. One group things and merry Christmas, I'm Sarah Churchill. Tonight we have a special treat: the a mere of a mall and the night visitors, the first opera for television and without further Ado, NBC Brown, Presents a hallmark television, playhouse production

the boy minds playing a shepherds pipe as a musician plays an oboe behind him. Then woman playing his mother starts to sing smiles television an hallmark might be a great fit. After all, merry Christmas. Indeed, paid up to two days. Early with direct deposit is another reason: banking with capital. One is one of the easy, decisions in the history of decisions even easier, then deciding to listen to another episode of your favorite pot guessed at with fees or minimums on checking and savings accounts come on. Is it even a decision? that's banking re imagined! What's in your wallet term supply see cap One dot com, slash bag? capital, one in a member after I see the holidays are up

less and total wine, and more is here to make your celebrations big and small. A whole lot more Mary still have a few people by four their top twenty wines of the year makes stand out gifts for everyone on your list. Oh and don't miss them, to holiday offerings like hard sellers and flavors like hot chocolate, maple pancake, an apple cinnamon or even wine based ignored, break open the bubbly and ring in the new year with their topics, listen with eight thousand wines, four thousand spirits and twenty five hundred beers to choose from there's something for everyone choose from her site in store pickup shipping were livery and select market, and you can, Lord total wine in store online or on their app spirits, not available in Virginia or North Carolina.

From wondering I'm David Brown, and this is business wars. on our last episode, the lifetime channel, saw the success that the Hallmark Channel was having the countdown to Christmas, its annual block of Christmas programming, every November and December Hallmark airs an increasing number of original movies lifetime. in the action they started own block of holiday programming called it's a wonderful lifetime. Both channels saw significant gains in viewers during the last two months of the year tries Might, though, lifetime never could catch up to homer and both channel see income

competition. Streaming giant Netflix, starts producing its own low budget Christmas movies in this effort We go back in time to the early two, thousands in trace how a greeting card company came a media empire and a stab the winning formula for Christmas movies. So many others now try to copy. This is episode to once upon a Christmas ratings hit, its April, two thousand six LOS Angeles California, down Hall Junior Swiveller in his chair, impatiently, in the board, at Crown media headquarters, he's CO, chairman of the company's bored. I were of distributing minutes solely by you mail and eliminating paper copy, say I her looks at the agenda

anxious for when they're going to get to the meat of today's meeting. Voting whether or not to sell the Hallmark channel Thankfully that items next the grants out of homework founder, J C Hall Donald is also the ceo of Hallmark cards as well as co chair of the Crown board. He flew from Kansas City the night before for this meeting Margo, sixty seven percent of crown, making it majority owner he has a particularly vested interest in whether or not they sell the channel to After the premier of em, all in the night, visitors Hallmark tell us in Play House rebranded as Hallmark Hall of Fame. They prime early aired adaptations of american and european classics like inherit the wind and hamlet, but nineteen seventies. They started airing original works as Well Hallmark Hall productions is the longest running anthology programme and television history and as one for one hundred awards, then

in nineteen ninety eight hallmark bought a cigar against stake in odyssey network. They transformed odyssey from our world. Is channel to a family one. and in two thousand one they re branded as the whole. Fortune in ITALY it hasn't performed as well as expected at last you're lost over two hundred million dollars, sequitur The board checks the time we're due, fifteen minute break it this point: how grow look, I'm fine with doing a break. I think the question on everyone's mind is whether or not we're going to sell the Hallmark Channel I move that we address that issue. First, then, we go and our break and other board member leaned forward. I second the secretary, not All in favour of delaying the break the eyes have it Miss German. The floor is yours. Co. Chair stands up buttoning his suit coat

As you all know, last July we started looking for buyers for the Hallmark channel. Now it off has come in, but it is a bit lower than we are anticipating lower than the eleven dollars per share that were currently trading at like then, a man Grain beard raises his hand. I thought We are confident that someone like Disney your Newscorp, which nature so that the Hallmark channel could round out their existing array of channels. What happened with that all energy mix. Those people are short sighted. Our critic, think we're worth less because we're an independent media company. We have sister networks to cross promote. So we can demand high affiliate fees from the cable carriers. They ignore the fact that we reach seventy three million households and our ratings are consistently in the top ten You know, I don't think it makes sense to sell for that money and we don't have to thanks to the tax sharing agreement. We worked out hallmark cards keep writing off the channels losses. so I say we hold out. I think we.

Better offers the man with the great beard shakes his head is a bigger problem we need to address. We have our exactly as much dead as we do assets obviously, most of that debt is alone from hallmark card, so crown is gonna go bankrupt, but I think we're see it's not an attractive proposition to potential buyers. I agree we should for a better offer, but I think we should take it off the block for the time being. Let's make some cuts get that debt down before we but the company up for sale to haul looks to the secretary right, let's put it to a vote in favour. Taking the Hallmark channel off the market, The eyes have it in the way pulling the company from sale. Crown me Stop price tumbles all the way to three dollars per share. Maybe They made a mistake, not accepting the offer

its Monday December. Fourth, two thousand six crown media. Headquarters, LOS Angeles. second of assistants stands in front of a fax machine waiting for the weekend Nielsen ratings to come in one of her, Amy Duties is to bring the ratings and the industry trade magazines to Paul Fitzpatrick. The companies too operating officer and acting ceo The assist let's out aloud yawn jeez, exhausted but she doesn't want another cup of coffee she's jittery enough already, in fact, she's been. edge for months. Since crown, He tried to sell the Hallmark channel in an effort to cut costs they ve laid off too. percent of the staff several of her for and had been. Let go ready. She wonders if she's next there see YO laughed and a permanent replacement is yet to be named.

everyone knows that November and December the channels best months ratings wise, but given everything happened this year. This Distant is expecting. The worst distant removes the pages from the machine and scans the numbers out of habit toppled and What kind of mood the executives will be in and the ratings are good indicator no way she can't bo leave what she saying she: hustle two fifths office. Her heart racing come the assistant walks into fits Patrick's Holding out the trade magazines and the ratings Fitzpatrick is focused on his computer. Monitor. You can just put those down the coffee table I'll. Take a look at him later. I think you're Look at the reigning sooner than that Fitzpatrick looks up his curiosity, PETE oh yeah the assistant hands in the facts. Fitzpatrick.

Reads. The numbers then looks up the assistant nods, yet the Christmas heard, was the number one cable broadcast Saturday not just that it was our highest graded movie of all time, Chris, movies always do well for respect. this is a whole nother level. Their Christmas card was a soldier serving in Afghanistan who receives a touching Christmas card from an anonymous woman. is too are doing, is complete. They travel to the small California town the card was sent from to track down the centre more like this, and we might turn this general around. I should answer as the assistant hurried back to her desk, to answer the phone. She feels hopeful, the first time in much over two years later with a new ceo at the helm. The hallmark channel figures out how to truly

capitalize on it's Christmas. Success. Its summer, two thousand and nine. Newly named ceo bill Avid shut the door to the conference room he's about to off a meeting with his top executives abbot was promote. C, o after running national advertising sales he's already made big moves, including signing a deal with Martha Stewart. Today he has new proposition. It's a gamble, no secret that Christmas is our strongest season in the past. we brought in upwards of seventeen million new viewers during November and December obvious we're doing something right, but I think You do better a few exact, it is exchange, looks one of them Ashley leaned forward we have in mind when in doubt go bigger right. Our viewers want Christmas. Let's give them Christmas

I want wall, the Wall programming, I want to be the channel they put on when their baking cookies and wrapping presence. I want to be there go to place for Christmas cheer a younger executive with purple Says clears his throat wish, make sure we integrate our Facebook and twitter feed. They should also completely. On brand with Christmas content, abbot nods, absolutely another executive with short blonde hair shifts in his seat. Abbot notices, Jeff You don't look convinced. Is there an issue you'd like to raise? Well, I'm just wondering about saturation. As you said, people are tuning in Saturday nights for new movies. You did event think will delete that appeal and heard our ratings. If we programme hundreds of hours of programming abbot shrugs good question and one I don't have the answer to that,

Think this is worth taking a swing at abbots. Gamble pays off the weekend before Christmas. Hallmark has had its highest rated weak ever and is the number one cable channel for its key demographic of women? ages? Twenty five to fifty four, the press Dubbs. It premier, holiday destination and in twenty fourteen hallmark, decides to place its riskiest bed? Yet this is it the pot to win the tournament think it the championship is yours, but on your back swing, your hat falls over your eyes. So is this how you running your business, poor visibility, but you're, still relying on spreadsheets and outdated, financed software to see the full picture, will you need to upgrade to net sweet by all go not sweet is the number one cloud financial system to power. Your growth with visibility and control of your

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Christmas under wraps, which stars Candice Cameron, Bray who start on the sick on full house is a child cheaply an ambitious doctor who loses out on a prestigious fellowship then takes it. in Garland Alaska. At first she said: Oliver New off the beaten path home, but by in the movie. She realizes the small town has everything she needs the best Crispin hat bickering takes notice. but her mind is elsewhere. Secret she's been distracted, from the first second, the trailer when the production companies logo came up hallmark, doesn't its own in house production team. They partner with several production companies to make their movies but vicar wonders if they should be taking a cue from their own movie. Maybe it's time. They look at where they are the twisted. The film is Garland is home to send his workshop and them

and Bahrain, character falls in love with is Santa's son Santa doesn't outsource his work maybe hallmark shouldn't either in his Cameron, Bahrain, but before she contemplate this further The travellers over recent, under the lights Papa. the head of marketing, moves to the front of the room thoughts I think we're in good shape. I just have a few thoughts at the fifty eight second let's hold a shot of the northern lights, just a touch logger at one minute. ex mark the musics coming into loud. What's spare that back but yeah You know what we like and our style lacework. She turns to Abbot he, I agree with Michel. This is great work. I think we need to hold on the many hammer a touch longer. Otherwise the joke gets lost. The marketing during, you're right down. There notes, in not great we'll get right on this victory and

exit, the screening room, victory, It's her lip and decides to go for it. What would you think about starting our own production arm. Instead of working without such companies, we even more direct control over the creative process, and we would concur. All the rights we wouldn't have to split dvd sales, worldwide rights, etc. feels like the next natural evolution for a company abbot knowledge, would take a decent amount of capital to get started, but you are right that some strong benefits. No one knows our brand better than we do. We The core elements are movies have to embody emotional actions, traditions and celebrating the season it makes and for us to oversee the entire process soup to nuts, you know I agree with you and we're finally, at a place where I think have the means to make that a possibility, which is saying something considering where we were eight years ago. I'll tell you

but I'll talk to the board about it. The next year, they launch crown. Media productions it will oversee the production of six of their movies with apply and to bring more in house. but as whole mark invests even more money into it's Christmas productions. Another player, Is ready to make its mark its December eleven twenty seventy screen, Karin Scheele is walking down the street in New York? She feels on buzzing in reluctantly, Czechs who scarlet it's been below all day with well, meaning texts and phone calls. overwhelming, but she's also expecting a call. From her age it. So she can't ignored entirely it's a friend from back home,

Sheila knows if she doesn't answer her friend will just keep calling until she does pay. Oh, my God, Karen are you? Ok, I'm fine! Even with that weak yesterday Netflix, sent out a snark e tweet. It read to the fifty three people who watched a Christmas prince every day for the past eighteen days. Who hurt you? Shame wrote the movie a Christmas prince though she had little to do with it after Netflix bought it, but the tweak Darfur, social media, firestorm, some people were upset by what they saw as Netflix invasion of privacy by tracking individuals, viewing habits, but other used it to express disbelief that anyone would watch the movie once let alone eighteen times they berated it. For its part, holds in general genus a change, not concern you ever hear the phrase: there's no such as bad publicity sport.

I am concerned that one tweet probably quadrupled the number of people who had even heard of my movie. Now it's not just another movie on Netflix, its veto everyone's talking about, I mean seriously, do hear people logging about any other movie right now. I doubt not one home movie. Not one lifetime movie has gotten this kind of attention. I think it's kind of cool, that's true, replied I loved it. I felt like I was wiped away on a magical ride for ninety minute. Yes, That's the entire point. If people want to make fun of internal middle drinking AMOS, fine with me makes them Abbe sailors Buses girls. Coming in! Oh that's, my agent, I gotta go she's, which is over a call: hey Yak, given update shaver is right. A Christmas prince and Netflix controversial tweed about

dominate desire, guys overshadowing both hallmark and law. Five times slate of movies there is officially a new Santa Claus in town, next episode. Homework is under attack on all sides lifetime it moved overtake hallmark by broadening the diversity of the leaves of its movies and Netflix, uses its deep pockets to its advantage from wondering this is episode to of Christmas movie wars for business, wars, our show, please give us a five star rating in a review and be sure to tell your friends: follow business wars on Apple podcast, Spotify, Amazon, music, the wondering app Ray every year. Listening right now, you can listen ad, by joining wondering glass,

so find some links and offers more sponsors and the episode notes supporting them helps us keep offering our shows for free and other way you can all this shows by filling out a small survey at wondering, dot, com, slash survey and tell us what business stories. You'd like to hear a quick note about recreations you ve been hearing cases. We can't know exactly what was said. Those things are dramatization, but their based on historical research. I'm your hosts David and Austin Rackliff wrote this story. Voice acting by Michel Felicity Karen Low is our senior producer and editor and it didn't produced by Emily Frost designed by Kyle Random, are produced Dave shelling. Our executive producers are Jenny. Lauer Batman and Martial Louie create by around Lopez for wondering hey, grownups, its guy rise in many here from while in the world, as you may have heard

Kids over the age of five are now eligible to receive the covert nineteen vaccines in personnel kid. That news is a big relief fog for others. That news, brings angle lack of anxiety and questions questions like will. It hurts what's gonna happen and give me I will answer a lot of your questions and new episode of wow in the world and spoiler alert mending. The vaccine does not give you a tale join us as we learn about the site. and behind the covert nineteen vaccine and encourage our friend to overcome his fear of shots to get vaccinated too, because while we know that chats can be scurried, we also know that science is amazing. Listen to this special episode of while in the world where ever you get your part, last November, twenty second right now on Amazon, music or ad free, when you subscribe to wondering plus kids through apple pie, outcasts