Channel One News has made the decision to begin advertising credit cards to teens and preteens.
Last week ads for Discover Card appeared on Channel One’s web site.
Obligation has written to Dr. Paul Folkemer, the current Senior Vice President of Education asking him if Discover Card commercials are running on the in-school TV show. He has refused to comment. That is not a good sign for parents. It is logical to assume Channel One News is indeed running commercials for Discover Card in classrooms. Even if they are not airing commercials in the classroom the program is directing young people to their web site where they have numerous ads for Discover Card. On the page above you see there are TWO ads encouraging young people to apply for the credit card.
Channel One has never advertised credit cards before but they came close.
In 2001, the marketing geniuses at Channel One News thought it would be smart if they advertised the Cobaltcard. This was a preloaded “buying card” from American Express. Mom and Dad would deposit a certain amount of money in an account and the student could use the card just like an American Express credit card. Here’s the video of the ad Channel One ran relentlessly in 2000 and 2001.
Obligation’s president Jim Metrock said, “I firmly believe that many schools dropped Channel One in the 2000-2001 school year because of some terrible advertising decisions by Channel One executives. Advertising a ‘buying card’ to kids so they could get used to carrying ‘plastic’ was just one of the mistakes. Now in 2009, I believe Channel One stands to lose even more schools with this moronic decision to pitch real credit cards at teens and preteens.”
