General Mills Awarded Third Annual 'Crown Award' for Responsible TV Advertising Presented by Hallmark Channels and Parents Television Council

General Mills Recognized For Integrity And Responsible Corporate Citizenship

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Consumer foods giant General Mills has been named as the  recipient of the third annual “Crown Award” for responsible advertising, presented by Hallmark Channels and the Parents Television Council.  The award was presented by Bill Abbott, President and CEO, Hallmark Channels, and Tim Winter, President, Parents Television Council (PTC), on October 13 at General Mills’ Minneapolis headquarters.  Ken Powell, Chairman and CEO of General Mills, was presented with the award because of the company’s consistent commitment to and appreciation of quality, family-friendly programming through their advertising.

Hallmark Channels, the nation’s leader in family-friendly programming, and the PTC, the nation's most influential advocacy organization protecting children against inappropriate and excessive portrayals of sex, violence and profanity in television entertainment, partnered to create this award in 2007.  The award is bestowed annually to an advertiser who exhibits extraordinary leadership, integrity and responsible corporate citizenship.

 “We are delighted to recognize General Mills, one of the most respected brands in America, for its unwavering support of families through its many social programs that benefit communities, and for the leadership it demonstrates in its ongoing commitment to and appreciation of the value in family-friendly programming,” said Abbott.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Ken Powell, General Mills Chairman and CEO.  “General Mills is very proud of its reputation as a ‘family-friendly’ advertiser.”

In its advertising guidelines, General Mills states the company “will not produce advertising  that  would  undermine  the  role of parents  and  family,  or  respect  for community authorities – and will air advertising only on programming we deem suitable for the family-oriented nature of our brands and products.”

PTC President Tim Winter said, “PTC research repeatedly shows that General Mills makes responsible TV advertising a priority and is committed to supporting family-friendly content with its brands. The PTC joins parents and families across the country in thanking General Mills for being a model television advertiser and an exceptional corporate citizen. Advertisers have an important role in determining what airs on television every single day. We encourage other companies to heed the General Mills example and help support wholesome content that is consistent with the corporate values they espouse.”

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. Visit www.generalmills.com.

To speak with a representative from the Parents Television Council, please contact Kelly Oliver (ext. 140) or Megan Franko (ext. 148) at (703) 683-5004.

The Parents Television Council® (www.parentstv.org®) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. This national grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members and 55 chapters across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. The PTC™ also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.

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 88 million subscribers.  The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country.  Hallmark Channel consistently ranks among the highest-rated cable networks and is the nation’s leading network in providing quality family programming.  Hallmark Channel’s sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel which focuses on the greatest family movies of all time. For more information, please visit www.hallmarkchannelpress.com.