It’s about to get ugly on Channel
One News.
Girls are told that if they don’t look like these
two models above (from Clean & Clear’s web site), then they
are ugly and therefore need to purchase, er, Clean & Clear
products from Johnson & Johnson. (Johnson & Johnson has
been advertising on Channel One for over a year.)
If your daughter has to watch this TV show every
morning, she will slowly begin to have doubts about her appearance.
That is a good thing as far as Channel One goes. That means their
advertisers will make money and Channel One will too. Who cares
if the products really work? Who cares if they are too expensive?
Who cares if Channel One’s advertising messages undermine the self-confidence
that parents and guardians have tried to instill in their children?
Channel One has always made young girls feel unsure
about their looks. They have advertised hair care products and
acne creams for years. (One infamous Channel One commercial suggested
that students should wear a bag on their head if they have acne.
It was played for laughs, but it was a brutal message for children
with acne.) The only difference for this 2004-05 school year is
the number of such ads will dramatically escalate.
Check out Channel One’s sales literature. This is
the way that Jim Ritts and the other Channel One executives think
about children. Ritts won’t lose one second of sleep worrying if
he has made millions of kids feel bad about their appearance.
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This is a full-page ad Channel One News ran This may look innocent to some, but remember |
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Channel One is seeking to advertise
many more "beauty" products starting in September. (Advertisers
don’t begin their advertising campaigns on Channel One until after
Labor Day since August only provides a partial audience. Public
service announcements usually dominate Channel One’s August shows.)
Channel One however has found
a whole new line of products they feel can replace the lost advertisers:
health and beauty products.
Channel One executives have
spoken very openly about how students are very unsure of their
looks. Channel One has told potential "beauty product" advertisers
that they can exploit this natural fear among children.
On May 10, 2004, PRIMEDIA,
Inc. released this information about Channel One News.
" Education and Training advertising revenues,
which are generated entirely by Channel One, decreased
$1,674 in 2004 as compared to 2003. Channel One’s advertising
revenue declined as a result of reduced spending by several
food and beverage accounts and the absence of any barter
deals in 2004, partially offset by revenue gains from additional
health and beauty brands, movies and telecommunications
firms."
Key Action Steps to Improve Performance
The Company is working to improve Channel One’s sales effectiveness by
better addressing the growing retail and health and beauty aids sectors."
