[May 20, 2014 – Although a Channel One/Alloy receptionist told me face-to-face that Kent Haehl was “no longer with the company,” he obviously was reinstated within months of this article.]
Kent Haehl
From Jim Metrock:
It appears that Channel One News is again without a president.
On a visit this week to Channel One’s less-than-spectacular offices at 151 West 26th Street in New York City, I was told that Mr. Haehl is no longer with the company. ( I emailed Mr. Haehl and three other Channel One employees to get a confirmation or denial of this and no one responded.) I was also told that I could not see anyone else with Channel One. When I asked for the name of the highest level person left at Channel One, I was given the name of Dustin Fitzharris whose title is “Administrative Client Service Coordinator for Channel One.”
Wow.
The collapse of Channel One News can’t be too far away.
When I asked about Dr. Paul Folkemer, the educator-turned-kiddie-marketer VP of Education, I was told he does indeed work at that office but he rarely comes in.
Kent Haehl was hired in November 2007 to replace Judy “Advertorial” Harris. I wrote at the time that Mr. Haehl wouldn’t last long. Actually he lasted longer than I thought: 16 months.
After Jim Ritts was forced out at Channel One I thought it was a perfect opportunity for Channel One to go a little bit more “legit” by hiring an educator or journalist to head the company. Instead they hired Judy Harris a marketing person from PBS and then when she failed very badly they hired back Kent Haehl the former VP of Sales as president.
There well may be no replacement for Kent Haehl. That’s not to compliment him, but it is simply an acknowledgment that Channel One News doesn’t need a president or CEO.
There is little left of the company that Christopher Whittle rolled out in 1990.
Mr. Fitzharris is probably overly qualified to manage Channel One News at this stage.
