All done during school time.
Channel One turned over the April 27 show to a rock band that needed publicity.
It was a beautiful deal: the band would play for free on Channel One News and in exchange get their music before millions of kids that couldn’t turn the TV off.
The band called Reliant K could never afford such exposure and Channel One News couldn’t afford to pay the band for appearing. Both parties bartered their time. By trading taxpayer-funded school time to the band, Channel One booked musicians that could help the show’s advertisers get a bigger viewership. The main product being sold this day was Wrigley’s sugar-loaded Juicy Fruit gum. Juicy Fruit was the sponsor of the “classroom rock concert.”
Obligation’s Jim Metrock said, “Your heart has to go out to teens and preteens that, through no fault of their own, attend schools that continue to waste potential learning time with Channel One News. These students may think it is fun to watch a rock band perform during their school day, but these young people are being robbed. They will have to compete with the students in the next county that don’t have this silliness in their schools. The vast majority of U.S. middle and high schools do not have a contract with Channel One. They do not show commercials during school. They do not play rock and rap music for students. They do not urge students to consume more junk food. The students saddled with Channel One need their parents and teachers to take action. If parents and teachers refuse to stand up and complain, then these students will once again lose one week’s worth of school time this coming school year.”
