Hallmark hires for distribution drive

Crown Media Family Networks in the US has poached an executive from Al Jazeera America to boost the distribution of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in the US.

As director of distribution, Jodi McCulloch will be responsible for increasing the presence of the two cablenets across 13 states in the central and southern part of the US.

She will report to Lisa Barroso, VP of distribution at Crown Media Family Networks, and will be based in Denver.

Prior to joining Al Jazeera America, McCulloch spent 14 years at The Walt Disney Company, where she eventually served as senior account executive for the western division, managing sales and marketing for networks including Disney Channel, ABC Family and ABC.

Hallmark Channel announced it was moving into original scripted production for the first time in 2012 and since then has produced dramas such as When Calls the Heart, Cedar Cove and Signed, Sealed, Delivered.