On Friday, September 9, Channel One advertised two junk food products. Hubba Bubba Max bubble gum and Gatorade.
Hubba Bubba is one of Wrigley’s sugary products. The commercial today was a new one featuring a polar bear who stuffs his face with Hubba Bubba bubble gum. The ad is a satire on the R-rated movie Fargo.
Commercial content for Hubba Bubba and Gatorade consumed three minutes and 23 seconds – far exceeding the two-minute daily commercial limit Channel One promised school officials.
Channel One runs a lot of risks by advertising bubble gum in high schools and middle schools.
First, parents are fed up with their school encouraging their child to consume more and more sugar. When more parents find out that their school is taking time out of the school day to advertise – bubble gum – there could be a huge effort to turn off this controversial TV show.
Second, by airing irresponsible junk food ads, Channel One is making it exceedingly difficult for school officials to defend the presence of the show in their classrooms.
Third, kids can’t take much more of Channel One’s junk food ads. A student backlash against Channel One’s exploitation is a real possibility.
Fourth, the company itself may face a severe punishment in Texas. Texas is the most important state for Channel One. They have over a million Texas students under contract. One of every ten C1N TV sets are located in Texas.
The Texas Public School Nutrition Policy went into effect August 2004. This policy has restrictions on “foods of minimal nutritional value.” Their definition of FMNV follows the federal definition:
“FMNV: Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value. Refers to the four categories of foods and beverages (soda water, water ices, chewing gum, and certain candies) that are restricted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture under the child nutrition programs.”
Channel One is obviously thumbing its nose at Texas’ effort to promote healthier student lifestyles. If Texas takes action against Channel One’s junk food assault, then “game over” for the recklessly marketers at C1N. This appears to be a gamble that Judy Harris Channel One’s latest CEO is ready to take.
Gatorade dominated the “news” show today. A total of two minutes and fifty-three seconds was taken with a regular commercial and then two minutes with a salute to the Gatorade Players of the Year which was nothing but a shameless promo for the sports drink. Then sixteen additional seconds was taken as Channel One solicited students to send in videos so they can win Gatorade products. Lastly, another seven seconds of time had a Gatorade logo on the screen. It was a massive effort to help one of Channel One’s major advertisers.
For those who think Gatorade is not a junk drink, think again. Very few people, much less teens, need Gatorade. It is just extra calories and is not as good as plain old water.
Here is an ABC News report on Gatorade.
Sports Drinks: Winners and Losers
Dr. David Katz Says Unless You’re an Elite Athlete, You Don’t Need the Extra Calories
July 25, 2005 — Bottled waters and sports drinks are a multibillion-dollar industry, but ABC News’ medical contributor Dr. David Katz says these drinks offer little more than extra calories, sugar and sodium to our diets. Katz reviews the winners and losers of sports drinks and fortified waters.
The Losers Gatorade 8 ounces has 50 calories and 110 milligrams of sodium. Katz says that Gatorade might be appropriate for elite athletes like Lance Armstrong. But it is marketed to everyone, providing unnecessary calories, sugar and salt to the average person.
Below is the part of today’s Channel One News script that dealt with the promotion of Gatorade. This time was NOT considered as “commercial” content by Channel One. That is just a lie they continue to tell schools and the public. Channel One considers this “news.” That is why the vast majority of secondary schools in the U.S. have rejected Channel One News.
Regular Gatorade commercial ends and C1N anchor Rich Demuro begins to talk.
[BE BACK]
RICH: ONE IS AMONG THE BEST WHEN IT COMES TO SPIKING AND DIGGING — THE OTHER THREW HIS WAY INTO THE RECORD BOOKS. WE’LL INTRODUCE YOU TO THE GATORADE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR AFTER THE BREAK.
[INTRO PLAYER]
RICH: EVERY SCHOOL HAS AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE, BUT ARE THEY GOOD ENOUGH TO BE THE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR? EACH YEAR, GATORADE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOLASTIC COACH AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MAGAZINE, PICKS THE NATION’S TOP MALE AND FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER. THEY WERE AWARDED THE HONORS THIS SUMMER IN LOS ANGELES.
[PLAYER OF THE YEAR] KEVIN GARNETT AND DWIGHT HOWARD: AND THE BOYS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR GOES TO … GREG PAULUS.
RICH: GREG RE-WROTE THE NEW YORK STATE RECORD BOOKS IN LEADING CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY TO THE SCHOOL’S FIRST STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. HE HOLDS THE RECORD FOR MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN A CAREER, MOST PASSING YARDS IN A SEASON, AS WELL AS THREE OTHER NEW YORK STATE RECORDS. ALL THIS AND HE DOESN’T EVEN PLAN ON PLAYING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THAT’S BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYERS. AND THIS FALL? HE’LL BE PLAYING COLLEGE BASKETBALL AT DUKE UNIVERSITY.
GREG PAULUS — GATORADE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: IT’S KIND OF A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT I LOVE BASKETBALL. THAT’S KIND OF WHERE MY FIRST PASSION IN MY HEART IS, SO I’M GOING TO BE A BLUE DEVIL THIS UPCOMING SEASON AND I’M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
LISA LESLIE AND MIA HAMM: AND THE 2005 GATORADE FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO… CYNTHIA BARBOZA.
RICH: CYNTHIA’S NEARLY 500 KILLS AND MORE THAN 50 SERVICE ACES LEAD WOODROW WILSON CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR. SHE WAS THE ALTERNATE ON THE U-S OLYMPIC TEAM IN 2004 AND IS ONE OF THE ONLY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES TO WIN GATORADE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORS TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
CYNTHIA BARBOZA — GATORADE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: I’VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY, I’VE HAD AMAZING COACHES SINCE I STARTED, BUT JUST THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALWAYS BEING BEHIND ME, AND HAVING THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU PLAY, REALLY HELPS. RICH: CYNTHIA AND GREG JOIN A LONG LIST OF GATORADE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR, INCLUDING ATHLETES KEVIN GARNETT, MIA HAMM AND PEYTON MANNING.
PEYTON MANNING — NFL QUARTERBACK, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: IF YOU WANT TO GET ANYWHERE IN LIFE, YOU GOT TO HAVE A GOOD WORK ETHIC. IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET GOALS AND DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN’T FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.
[TAG PLAYER/SOLICIT]
RICH: AND TO WATCH MORE VIDEO OF GREG AND CYNTHIA IN ACTION, HEAD OVER TO OUR WEB SITE AND CLICK ON “SPORTS.” IF YOU SEE A SPORTS PLAY THAT MAKES CROWDS GO WILD, WE’D LOVE TO SEE IT. SEND US THE TAPE AND WE’LL CONSIDER IT FOR OUR PLAY OF THE WEEK. SO KEEP AN EYE – AND CAMERA – ON THE LOOK-OUT. SEND YOUR PLAYS TO: CHANNEL ONE SPORTS; P-O BOX 74911; LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90004.
Thanks to Ken
McNatt http://ncaco.org/
