| A child going to Channelone.com is greeted with this banner ad. The ad rotates through the three images below. Clicking on the ad takes the child to a contest entry form. There is no mention of the movie rating. |
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From Jim Metrock:
Today I discovered Channel One has a massive ad campaign on their website for Paramount Pictures raunchy comedy "Drillbit Taylor." This movie comes out this Friday and Channel One News is working overtime to get kids to pack the movie theaters to see this sleazeball comedy.
Channel One News is inviting young people to enter a contest to win a private screening of the movie.
The movie has a PG13 rating for "crude sexual content" profanity, violence, partial nudity, and "drug references." Channel One has stripped all mention of the rating or the content from their web advertising for the movie. As far as kids know this is a G-rated movie.
Today I emailed Kent Haehl, Channel One’s CEO, and Dr. Paul Folkemer, the VP of Education, and told them about the content of the movie. I asked them to discontinue the advertising of this movie. I asked if they are advertising the movie in classrooms. (They normally do if they are running a contest on their website.)
Neither Haehl or Folkemer cared to reply.
The contest is still on Channel One’s website as of 9:30 pm CDT on March 17.
Haehl and Folkemer have been responsible for some truly awful advertising to children. It was a great day when both of them left Channel One several years ago. Well now, like a cold sore, they are back and movies like Drillbit Taylor will be common fare for young people compelled to watch Channel One News.
Middle school students who may not see a commercial for the movie are repeatedly told to go to Channelone.com where they will see banner ads and and other content telling them about Drillbit Taylor.
If your school still has Channel One News, here is another good reason to demand that your school turn the program off. Schools should not be endorsing a movie that laughs at drug references and is filled with crude sexual humor.
Channel One News repeatedly informs kids that the movie opens on March 21.
March 21 is Good Friday.
Look at the personal information Channel One News is obtaining from young people. No parent should feel comfortable with Channel One and Alloy Media and Marketing having this kind of information about their child.
Children who click on the official movie website link provided by Channel One News see content like that below.
