Channel One News is owned by Alloy Media and Marketing. Alloy bought Channel One to help promote Alloy’s other companies and web sites that market to teens and preteens.
One site is Teen.com. This is a controversial website that helps introduce kids to the sex, drugs and drinking of Gossip Girl novels and the Gossip Girl TV show to name only the most current slime peddled by Alloy.
Channel One has chosen a deceptive way to get young people to visit Teen.com. Look at this ad on Channelone.com:
This ad on Channelone.com appears to be an ad for the DVD of a movie called “Center Stage – Turn It Up.” It looks like the movie studio is sponsoring a contest. [Notice that the movie has a PG13 rating. Channel One vowed in 2000 they would never advertise a PG13 to middle school children. It is a vow long forgotten.] Clicking on this ad takes a young person straight to Teen.com (below).
Obligation’s president Jim Metrock said, “What Channel One is doing violates a basic standard for children’s web sites. A child should be told what is an advertisement and be warned if clicking on a link will send him or her to another web site. This ad is totally misleading. This is basic stuff. You don’t play tricks on children. Channel One, advertising is what your company is all about, so why not be at least upfront with your ads.”
