From Jim Metrock:
Channel One News financial struggles are well documented. In 2007 they were valued at $0 (as in a net worth of zero dollars) when Alloy Media and Marketing agreed to take over Channel One’s assets and liabilities… with no cash outlay. [Buyers usually pay sellers for what they are selling, but, as in this case, sometimes a seller just wants to unload something. Remember that last mattress you wanted to get rid of? That was Channel One News.]
With so many schools dumping Channel One, it is interesting to see how Channel One is spending its money these days. Are they using their money wisely?
Let’s look at one job at Channel One: Production Associate.
According to an article on eHow.com, a production associate is “a person who does both technical and nontechnical work in a television/radio production company or organization. He performs administrative duties related to production. According to Broadcast Production Assistant, he is the link between the producer, director and the crew. He relays pre-production and post-production instructions and information to the production staff.”
Channel One pays Kristen Brody to be one of its production associates. A big part of her job is to convince teens and preteens to like certain recording artists. She works hard at putting a band or a singer in the most favorable light possible so young people will buy their albums or download their music. It seems a odd thing to do at a news organization, but as we know, Channel One News is a youth marketing organization. Knowing that, Ms. Brody’s job makes sense.
Below is an article she wrote on her Channel One blog this past school year. Her blog is simply another opportunity for Channel One to sell stuff to kids.
Kristen Brody’s blog under the heading “right NOW”has nothing to do with current events or breaking news. Instead she is writing a publicity piece for a music artist. Her job is to increase sales for this singer who has been advertised on Channel One.
Here’s the Production Associate’s blog article on Mat Kearney. Ads for Mat Kearney’s music have run many times on Channel One News. His music has filled classrooms as it has blared out of Channel One TV sets (much to the disapproval of teachers). This blog post is nothing but an ad for this musical artist. It looks like a news story (and that is intentional), but it isn’t.
If you deconstruct this puff piece line by line, it is almost nauseating:
“There are many reasons to love Hear It Now artist Mat Kearney.” Really?
“his sweet soulful voice” “how nice he is!”
“Channel One clubhouse“? huh?
“he politely ask for coffee” Wow, he really is nice.
“I was lucky enough to attend Mat’s concert” Yuck. Stop gushing, Kristen.
“I usually don’t like to play favorites, but I can’t recommend Mat Kearney and his music enough.”So this is unusual? Not really. Here Channel One’s employee tells kids that a singer is like her “best friend.”
At Channel One News, everybody sells all the time.
