[The NSBA asked Obligation for an article on Channel One. This is the original article Obligation submitted. The published article may be slightly different. It is to appear in the May issue of the NSBA’s newspaper “School Board News.”]
The most controversial show on television is not “Jerry Springer”. It’s called Channel One and it’s shown only during school.
Channel One is a 12-minute TV show (with two minutes of commercials) designed by the advertising visionary, Christopher Whittle, in 1989. Channel One says it is in 12,000 schools nationwide.
Channel One trades TV equipment, which the school can never own, for one hour a week of student class time. They then resell this captive audience to advertisers like Nintendo, M&M/Mars, Reebok, and Warner Brothers.
School boards contractually agree to show the program at least 90% of all school days in at least 80% of all classrooms (usually in homeroom).
Last year, William Hoynes of Vassar College released a report critical of Channel One. He concludes, “
