Crown Media Names Andre Carey Executive Vice President, Worldwide Production and Original Programming.

Business Editors

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2000

Former Turner Network Television Executive to Increase

Original Programming on Crown's Networks

Crown Media Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: CRWN), today announced the appointment of former Turner Network Television executive Andre Carey as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Production and Original Programming. Mr. Carey will report directly to Chief Executive Officer, David Evans.

Andre Carey will primarily oversee and coordinate the strategic planning, development and production of original programming and projects for Crown's domestic and international cable networks, including Hallmark Entertainment Network and The Odyssey Network. Mr. Carey will work with the CEO's of both networks to provide programming designed to create a successful global entertainment company.

"We are pleased to have Andre heading up our original programming efforts. His unique combination of business and creative expertise, coupled with his superb leadership skills and talent relationships will prove invaluable as we expand our original programming and build our domestic and international cable operations into a single global, family entertainment enterprise," stated David Evans, President and CEO of Crown Media Holdings, Inc.

Mr. Evans continued, "Earlier this year, the Odyssey Network aired The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which was produced exclusively for Odyssey by Hallmark Entertainment. We generated our highest-ever rating for a movie, with ratings as high as 3.6 in select markets where we launched a comprehensive marketing campaign. Under Andre's guidance, we look to bring more support to the original Programming team at Odyssey that helped make Sleepy Hollow a success. We look to replicate that performance with an increasing number of `Made for Crown Media' programs for both The Odyssey Network and the international Hallmark Entertainment Network. With a strong programming line-up supported by substantial and creative marketing campaigns, we hope to bring our high-quality, family entertainment programming to an even larger audience in the future."

Mr. Carey said, "I consider myself fortunate to be joining a team of professionals dedicated to creating quality programming that reflects the depth and breadth of today's family experience both at home and abroad."

Mr. Carey joined TNT in 1993 as Senior Director of Business Affairs. He was promoted to Vice President in 1995. In 1997 Mr. Carey moved to the development side of TNT as a Vice President of Original Programming. In his creative capacity Mr. Carey was responsible for supervising development of TNT original motion pictures and series. Mr. Carey has overseen the production of several TNT originals including Deadlocked, starring Charles Dutton and David Caruso, Passing Glory, starring Andre Braugher, and Freedom Song, starring Danny Glover and directed by Phil Alden Robinson.

Prior to joining Turner, Mr. Carey was Vice President of Business Affairs with the Writers and Artists Agency, from 1992-1993, where he negotiated agreements for theater, television and theatrical motion picture productions. He developed his studio experience as a Production Attorney at TriStar Pictures, from 1990-1992, and was an agent in training at International Creative Management's New York office from 1988 to 1989. Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Mr. Carey worked for six years as an attorney both in Europe and the United States.

Mr. Carey received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University, and his Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He has also received a post graduate degree in international law from the Universitat Salzburg School of Law in Austria.

About Crown Media Holdings, Inc.

Crown Media Holdings, Inc. owns and operates pay television channels dedicated to high quality family programming. The Company currently operates and distributes three cable channels: Hallmark Entertainment Networks in over 70 international markets, the Odyssey Network in the United States and the Kermit Channel in Asia. Crown Media has more than 59 million subscribers worldwide.

Statements contained in this press release may contain forward-looking statements as contemplated by the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include: competition and fluctuations in the availability of programming and fluctuations in demand for the programming we air on our channels, as well as other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Risk Factors included in the Company's registration statement, as amended, registration no. 333-95573, initially filed on January 28, 2000. Crown Media Holdings is not undertaking any obligation to release publicly any updates to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.