Here is an article from the Woodward News documenting how a school board can be mislead into giving away ONE HOUR a week of their student’s school time. http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=1782517&BRD=1843&PAG=461&dept_id=220390&rfi=6
Notice how the technology director, Kyle Reynolds, explains Channel One to the board. One can hardly recognize Channel One from the gushing comments of Mr. Reynolds. This paragraph is incredible:
"Although some controversy has been seen over the use of advertising on Channel One, Reynolds said he had seen the ads and thought they were "a lot cleaner than what the kids might see at home." Reynolds said a Channel One representative has only received one complaint about advertising images over its nationwide network."
ONE COMPLAINT?!! NATIONWIDE?!! You gotta be kiddin’ us.
Reynolds relayed a lie that he was told by the Channel One sales rep. Unfortunately, Reynolds evidently did no investigation. It would have taken 30 seconds on the Internet to discover that the U.S. Senate has held TWO hearings on Channel One. It would have taken just a little longer to find out that the National Council of Teachers of English oppose Channel One along with Focus on the Family, American Family Association, Eagle Forum, and the Family Research Council. Mr. Reynolds failed to mention to the board that the National Association of State Boards of Education, National PTA, American Association of School Administrators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, National Council for the Social Studies and numerous other organizations oppose the showing of any commercials for brand name products in the classroom.
The Woodward Technology Director failed to tell the board that he was recommending a program that the country’s largest Protestant denomination adamantly opposes. (Southern Baptist resolution against Channel One).
Jim Metrock president of Obligation said, "The travesty at Woodward, OK is hopefully a rarity nowadays. Most schools are very well informed about the abuses of Channel One. As currently as two weeks ago, Channel One was still running commercials for vulgar PG13 movies. They still advertise junk food. They still are being nationally criticized for their exploitation of schoolchildren. Once the truth gets out in Woodward, I am dead certain this school board will vote overwhelmingly to rescind their acceptance of the Channel One contract. Not one board member asked for a financial analysis of the Channel One contract. No one asked if giving up one hour a week of school FOREVER was worth the RENTAL of the equipment. This board relied way too much on a staff member who apparently did no research on a very important matter. For the sake of the young people in Woodward, OK, let’s hope their school board will admit making a mistake."
