A Grandpa for Christmas

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  CONTACT:   Pam Slay, 818.755.2480

February 5, 2007     

CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD BESTOWS HIGHEST HONOR ON BORGNINE

Iconic Academy Award^®-Winning Actor Ernest Borgnine (“Marty”)

Currently Stars in Hallmark’s 2007 Holiday Film, “Bert & Becca;”

Medal for “Lifetime of Exceptionally Meritorious Service”

Today Academy Award^®-winning actor and Hollywood icon Ernest Borgnine (“Marty”) who is currently in production on a Hallmark Original Movie (“Bert & Becca”) slated for this holiday season will receive California’s highest civilian honor.

During a noontime presentation on the set of “Bert & Becca,” leaders of the California National Guard will present Borgnine, the 90-year-old legend of stage and screen, with The Order of California Public Service Award for a lifetime of exceptionally meritorious service.  The Order will recognize Borgnine’s “heartfelt advocacy on behalf of military personnel and veterans on many fronts, including the California National Guard.”

Borgnine served in the U.S. Navy for ten years from 1935-1945 and left the service as a Gunner's Mate 1st Class.  In 2004, Ernest Borgnine was made an honorary U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott.  One of Borgnine’s most enduring roles was in playing a Naval officer, Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale, in “McHale’s Navy.”

Also present at today’s ceremony was David Kenin, Executive Vice President, Programming for Hallmark Channel who offered this statement:

“In addition to creating some of the most endearing and memorable performances in show business history, Ernie Borgnine is a first-class, regular guy who has served humanity and his country with style, grace and courage.

Mr. Kenin concluded, “For all of his good works – professionally, personally and nationally – every page in the biography of Ernest Borgnine will be richly filled.”

In his current production, “Bert & Becca,” Ernest Borgnine plays an aging song and dance man who is about to enter a retirement home.  But old age is put on hold when Bert must take custody of his estranged granddaughter, Becca.

The California National Guard is comprised of 21,000 citizen soldiers who depart civilian jobs when they are called to active duty.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming to a national audience of over 75 million subscribers.  The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,300 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country.  Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the top 10 ad-supported cable networks in Prime Time and Total Day household ratings and is the nation’s leading network in providing quality family programming.  Crown Media also operates a second 24-hour linear channel, Hallmark Movie Channel.

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