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Actress Candace Cameron Bure visits Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" at Universal Studios Hollywood on Sept. 17, 2020, in Universal City, California. (Paul Archuleta / Getty Images)

Candace Bure Responds After Channel She Left Hallmark for Gets Historic News

By Lorri Wickenhauser January 4, 2023 at 4:05pm

Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.

Candace Bure started 2023 with some good news affirming her move to a new network.

Great American Media announced that its Great American Family network ended 2022 as the fastest-growing network in cable television.

“Fourth Quarter 2022 viewership growth was driven by the network’s Great American Christmas franchise which featured 18 original Christmas movies and fan-favorite stars including Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, Gladys Knight, Jen Lilley and more,” according to the network’s announcement of the ratings results.

“The expanded slate of 18 films marked a 50% increase in the network’s holiday movie offering in year two and established Great American Family as a destination for original Christmas movies.”

The announcement said the channel ranked “#1 in Total Day ratings growth in Households (+113%), People 18-49 (+100%) and Total Viewers (+116%) and #1 in “Primetime ratings growth in Households (+128%) among all cable networks,” based on Nielsen ratings.

Great news for Great American Media’s #GreatAmericanFamily to end 2022 & an even better way to start 2023. Happy New Year to everyone who helped make this happen, from people on-camera & off, but especially our viewers! 🎉#GreatAmericanChristmas #WelcomeHome #GreatAmericanWinter pic.twitter.com/HwCtF021II

— Great American Family (@GAfamilyTV) January 3, 2023

Bure shared the news on social media, the Washington Examiner reported, telling fans, “Thank you for finding us and watching Great American Family Channel.”

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Bure made headlines when she left the Hallmark Channel, which was once beloved for its Christmas movie lineup. That ardor has cooled for conservative audience segments in recent years since the network announced it would be adding same-sex couples and other LGBT content to its more traditional storylines.

Those changes prompted Bure to make the move to Great American Family after more than 12 years and 30 movies with Hallmark.

The actress cited a “change in leadership” that caused the Hallmark Channel to become “a completely different network” than what it was when she started there, The Blaze reported.

“GAC fits my brand perfectly,” Bure said.

The former “Full House” star told The Wall Street Journal, “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them.”

“I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment,” she said.

The Journal quoted industry analysts as saying the TV Christmas movie market generates at least $500 million in ad revenue annually.

The news outlet quoted former Hallmark chief executive Bill Abbot, who now heads Great American Media, as calling the mainstream entertainment business “a sewer” and noting that “spiritual or faith-based content is grossly underserved.”

The Great American Family’s formula “is what … Abbott calls ‘soft faith,’ a Christian message he said is there for viewers who are looking for it but doesn’t aim to proselytize,” the Journal reported.

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