Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

The SavvyCast


Aug 26, 2022

In today's day and age, finding wholesome, quality entertainment can be a real challenge. In this episode, Bill Abbott shares details of his family-friendly media company GAC. 

Episode At A Glance:

This week, I had the privilege of sitting down with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Great American Media, Bill Abbott. In addition to co-founding Great American Media in June of 2021, Bill has over 30 years of impressive leadership experience in cable television. His prior experience includes his role as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama. In this episode, Bill shares what kind of content viewers can expect from GAC. Additionally, he shares the core values that formed the company and how GAC was born. 

Who Is Bill Abbot? 

Bill Abbott is President and Chief Executive Officer of Great American Media. Abbott co-founded Great American Media in June 2021 and led the company’s acquisition of Great American County Network from Discovery, Inc. and RIDE TV. These were rebranded as GAC Family and GAC Living respectively in September 2021. The following month, Abbott oversaw the debut of Great American Christmas, a new franchise featuring 12 original, holiday-themed movies and specials, and in June 2021 he launched Great American Adventures, the company’s first FAST (free ad-supporting streaming TV) channel which features scripted and unscripted content celebrating Americana.

Abbott is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of leadership experience in cable television. Previously, Abbott served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama, which are owned and operated by Hallmark Cards, Inc. Abbott’s vision and passion for the brand established Hallmark Channel as the leading destination for quality, family-friendly entertainment on cable. 

Prior to serving as President and CEO, Abbott was Executive Vice President of Ad Sales for Crown Media Family Networks. There he oversaw the company’s Ad Sales team and digital network development. Before his 20-year tenure at Crown Media, Abbott served as Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales for Fox Family Worldwide. Prior to that, Abbott held research positions with CBS Radio Networks, Seltel, Inc., and Nadler & Larimer Advertising.

Abbott currently serves on the board of directors for Animal Humane, Parents TV & Media Council, and International Radio & Television Society Foundation and is a 2017 inductee into Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame.  He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

What Is Great American Media? 

Great American Media is home to Great American Family “Stories Well Told” and Great American Living “Life Well Lived.” As the company’s flagship network, Great American Family features family-friendly series, original holiday movies, and seasonal romcoms. Great American media focuses on producing content that celebrates faith, family, and country. Great American Living is the unscripted companion to Great American Family that celebrates America’s family-friendly traditions every day and every season.  

Questions Answered In This Episode: 

  • Have some actors or actresses from Hallmark moved over to GAC to create content?
  • How did GAC come to be?
  • What are the future plans for GAC? 
  • How does GAC stick to its values? 
  • When is the GAC app going to be released and what will be included in the app?
  • How can you access GAC’s Christmas movies and other media?
  • What kind of content can I expect from GAC?

Connect With GAC

I hope you enjoyed this episode! As always, if you have time to rate, review, and subscribe to The SavvyCast on Apple Podcasts, it would be SO appreciated!!!

If you like this podcast, be sure to check these out:

 How And Why Compounded Medicine Can Be Life Altering For Many Women

Let’s Talk BBQ with Martin’s BBQ Joint Founder Pat Martin