Elektra Records needed more exposure for the fairly unknown group called
Dakota Moon. Elektra had sunk a lot of money into this group that combines
soul and rock. Their second CD "Looking For a Place To Land" had
to do well and teens and preteens could be just the people to help make
the CD successful. The CD was due in stores on February 19.
Channel One’s sales department mobilizes a marketing package that zeroed-in
on the target market of kids. First Channel One would run a contest on
their web site promoting the band and the new CD. Children were offered
chances to win an autograph copy.
More important than that was Channel One’s decision to allow Dakota Moon
to actually guest host an entire Channel One News show. This occurred on
Tuesday, January 29. In addition to allowing the band to introduce segments
of the show, Channel One agreed to play portions of six Dakota Moon songs
("Looking For A Place to Land", "I’d Be A Fool", "So
Good For You", "Don’t Give Up on Me", "Getaway Car",
and "My Song").
For those who may be shocked that Channel One is filling public school
classrooms with rock and rap music, there is more. In addition to the six
songs by the guest hosts, C1 also played "Platinum Blonde Life" by
No Doubt, "Les Nuits" by Nightmares on Wax , "OK Skorpios" by
Bertrand Burgulat, and "Tarantula" by Faithless. A portion of
ten songs in total were played in class on one day. Usually it is about
six to seven songs on C1.Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002 — Special Guest: Dakota
Moon
Channel One violates their agreement with schools by allowing guest hosts
to plug CDs, movies and TV shows and to push their latest tours. Channel
One vowed in writing that that this would never happen because they said
they understand the "special nature of their audience."
Obligation’s Jim Metrock said, "Can a student bring a radio into
his or her homeroom and play their favorite music? A school that still
has Channel One is allowing Channel One to play whatever they want, no
matter how disruptive. Did taxpayers pay taxes to support their local schools
just so Elektra Records could use the educational facilities and the school
time to promote their hottest rock group? Or for Hostess to beg kids to
eat more Twinkies? Or for Warner Brothers to hawk their latest sex comedy
to students?"
