William J. Abbott

William J. "Bill" Abbott (born April 25, 1962) is an American businessman who has been the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the media company Great American Media since 2021. He was previously the president and CEO of Crown Media, the parent company of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, from 2009 to 2020.

When he became the head of Crown Media in 2009, Abbott spearheaded the addition of scripted series for primetime, including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart, as well as the launch of the yearly special Kitten Bowl.

Early life and education Abbott was born in Manhasset, New York, on April 25, 1962. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature in 1984.

Career His early work experience includes positions as a spot buyer for the agency Nadler & Larimer in 1984–1985, a research manager for Seltel Inc. from 1985 to 1987, and a research manager for CBS Radio Networks in 1988. In 2004, he oversaw the launch of Hallmark Movie Channel. During his tenure as EVP of advertising sales, Hallmark Channel's annual advertising revenue increased from $10.2 million to $223 million.

As CEO Abbott succeeded Henry Schleiff as president and CEO of Crown Media, June 1, 2009. In his first year, Abbott made a deal with Martha Stewart to create a lifestyle block on Hallmark Channel that premiered in March 2010.

In 2012, he revived the daytime Emmy-nominated lifestyle program The Home and Family Show. Abbott also diversified and expanded the network's content to include primetime scripted series including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart, an honoree of the 2016 Christopher Spirit Award. Separately, he oversaw the 2014 rebranding of Hallmark Movie Channel to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

In January 2020, Abbott stepped down as CEO of Crown Media, a little more than a month after the network apologized for removing advertisements featuring same-sex couples from the air which were restored a few days after being removed.

Great American Media In June 2021, Abbott became a partner with Hicks Equity Partners on GAC Media, a newly formed media company that acquired the cable channels Great American Country and Ride TV. GAC was relaunched as GAC Family in September 2021, repositioning it as a family-oriented network with a similar format to Hallmark Channel. The network acquired the When Calls the Heart spin-off When Hope Calls, and began hiring talent associated with Hallmark Channel productions to appear in its own competing slate of made-for-TV movies (with the channel establishing "Great American Christmas" as a direct competitor to Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas lineup).

In 2023, Abbott became CEO of Pure Flix after its merger with Great American Media. The merger brought together the companies' streaming and cable operations focused on faith- and family-based entertainment.

Awards and honors Abbott was featured in the Cablefax 100 list of top power players every year from 2009 through 2016. He also received the Diversity Partner Award from the T. Howard Foundation in 2016.

Personal life He has been married more than once and has four children; his eldest daughter is from his first marriage.