In the western Pennsylvania town of Valley Grove, citizens have expressed their concern about the controversial Channel One TV show. At a board meeting on Monday, January 17, over 280 names and addresses of citizens were presented to the school board urging the removal of Channel One.
The Valley Grove school board is apparently a very pro-Channel One board. Dr. Paul Folkemer, VP of Education for Channel One, came to the meeting from New York (a state that outlaws his show from all public school classrooms). Board members picked him up at the airport. He was escorted throughout the high school. The school board president lavished praise on Folkemer and Channel One. It was, as Channel One’s Jeff Ballabon inaccurately described last May’s U.S. Senate hearing on Channel One, a “love fest.”
Obligation’s Jim Metrock also was at the board meeting where Channel One was discussed.
“I met wonderful people in Valley Grove. They are very concerned about Channel One’s presence in their school. Although the school board appears to be dominated by a very pro-Channel One board president, I have a good feeling about the other nine board members. Surely, they will not want to keep this controversial TV show in their schools,” Metrock said.
“I do not understand why the board is so charitable to Dr. Folkemer and his company,” Metrock said. “Channel One is ripping their community off by their onerous contract terms. I asked Dr. Folkemer on the day of the board meeting ‘how many years does the Valley Grove school district have to watch Channel One before they can own the TV sets?’ Folkemer’s response was ‘they never can own them.’ And the board appears to love this man!?”
Soon the board will vote and the public will know where each board member stands on the commercialization of schoolchildren. Channel One is scared. That is why they sent their top “firefighter” Dr. Folkemer to Valley Grove.
Will Madison Avenue keep its solid hold on Valley Grove’s children?
Stay tuned.
