Channel One News has had YouTube remove virtually all of Obligation’s videos today. Parents and others now can no longer see what Channel One News has advertised to children or will advertise to children.
From Jim Metrock:
Kiddie marketers can be downright mean. Boo to Ms. C. J. Kettler.
Ms. Kettler a well-traveled, self-described “media industry leader” is the current CEO of Channel One. It now looks like she is also a bit of a bully. This may come from the desperate position she finds herself as tries to reinvent Channel One into something more acceptable to educators. (Channel One is a part of the equally controversial Alloy Media and Marketing.)
Instead of making Channel One less secretive and more transparent, Ms. Kettler wants the public to know even less about her company.
Channel One has demanded that YouTube delete all of Obligation’s videos for copyright infringement. And in turn YouTube today deleted over ten years of Obligation’s video proof of recklessness on Channel One’s part. Channel One has taken away the only opportunity for parents to see what Channel One News is advertising to schoolchildren. Channel One’s thinking: Parents can’t complain if they don’t know what is being advertised to students during their daily, 12-minute, classroom TV show.
For example: Obligation gave Ms. Kettler grief after she approved an ad campaign for junk drink Sunny D this past spring. Ms. Kettler and Channel One showed utter disregard for the health of American schoolchildren by bringing back junk food ads to Channel One News. You could have seen Channel One’s Sunny D commercials on Obligation’s website before today, but now Channel One has made sure no one will see these ads. ( April 10, 2013 -Channel One brings back junk food ads)
Obligation was the only organization that provided parents, educators, researchers, legislators, and other members of the public with Channel One’s complete programs which included ALL the advertising.
Channel One News only allows parents to see commercial-free videos of its classroom TV show. The company removes both of the commercial breaks on each show (which contain virtually all of Channel One’s advertising) and replace the commercials that students see with a black screen. Parents who didn’t know better would think Channel One News has no ads. Channel One News knows it is misleading parents and others by removing the commercials, but if they show the commercials they would have even more parents being outraged with the company.
Over the years, Obligation has pleaded with Channel One executives to not black out the commercials. We told them that parents have a right to see what movies, junk food, and other products and services are being advertised daily to their children. Channel One never budged. Channel One always defended itself by saying parents can easily go to their child’s school and watch the program with their child or in the library on a preview monitor if they want to know what is being advertised.
So Channel One and Ms. Kettler are intentionally misleading the public by showing their doctored videos. Over the years Obligation has been able to obtain copies of Channel One programs. We have published these videos with accompanying commentary in our articles as a public service. Obligation’s videos of Channel One show the complete program with the commercials that Channel One doesn’t want to be seen.
Now Channel One has claimed it is a violation of their copyright for Obligation to air uncensored videos of their show. If this is allowed to stand, no telling what Ms. Kettler will feel free to advertise to schoolchildren this coming school year.
I have to give Ms. Kettler her due though. She appears to have won this battle decisively. No videos of Channel One advertising are being seen by anyone right now.
