We asked executives how their companies keep their holiday programming fresh year after year. Here’s what they had to say. 

Bill Abbott
President/CEO
Great American Media

To keep Great American Christmas fresh, cozy and memorable we spend a lot of time listening to our fans and learning about what our audience likes – and what they don’t like.  It all starts with talent, and our growing roster of beloved stars, including Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar and Trevor Donovan, who are the best in the Christmas genre. Original music also plays a key role in our holiday strategy, and this year’s slate features exceptional musical performances by the incomparable Gladys Knight, Hillary Scott (Lady A) and other talented artists.

Hector Campos
VP, Content Strategy and Acquisition
UPtv

Our goal every year is to offer a variety of titles that capture the holiday spirit, but also feel unique and authentic. We have ramped up original productions and developed strong partnerships with distributors that share this vision. This year we have over 600 hours of Christmas programming filled with uplifting stories of romance and the true meaning of the season. The Most Uplifting Christmas Ever slate includes 17 premiere movies, an unscripted series and a music special.

Samantha DiPippo
SVP, Development
Hallmark Media

We want all viewers to see their own unique stories in our holiday programming and this opens up the variety of stories we tell. For example, this year’s holiday slate goes beyond romantic love. Romance is, of course, central to any Hallmark movie and our viewers will still find that, in addition to new stories about relationships between siblings, friends, mothers and daughters, neighbors and more.

Tia Maggini
SVP of Scripted Programming
Lifetime

The key to keeping holiday programming fresh is to make sure that we’re enlisting new voices and new talent for our movies.  That starts with hiring writers, producers, directors, and actors who bring unique perspectives to the table and encouraging them to be their authentic selves.  We need to constantly ask ourselves “how can we approach this from a new perspective?” while still aiming to deliver the Christmas comfort food the audience craves.

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