Time Warner Cable gave Hallmark Channel and Outdoor Life Network post-Thanksgiving clearance presents Monday, through separate affiliate-contract extensions.
In both agreements, Time Warner promised that channel clearance would cover the majority of their systems.
OLN officials said that milestone would be realized by December 2003, primarily as an analog basic-cable/expanded-basic service, while Hallmark, in a press release, said near-universal coverage from the industry's second-largest operator would happen "in the near future," without signifying placement.
Carriage terms were unavailable and not forthcoming from all three parties.
Time Warner is Hallmark's largest cable carrier. "The network's commitment to quality, contemporary and relevant programming ... reinforce our early expectations of Hallmark Channel's mission," Time Warner executive vice president of programming Fred Dressler said in a prepared statement.
"We are excited that Outdoor Life will be available to so many TWC subscribers," OLN senior VP of affiliate sales Becky Ruthven said in a prepared statement.
Hallmark is currently circulated to about 49 million cable and direct-broadcast satellite subscribers, while OLN is available to 51 million.
