From Jim Metrock: Ugh. This is another new low for the kiddie marketers at Channel One.
Today’s Channel One TV show opened with 3rd-graders! reciting the “Channel One News starts right now” script.
These are 8-year-old children. What was this teacher thinking? What was the principal thinking? (If the principal even knew what was going on.)
Did this teacher tell these children’s parents or guardians that their child may be featured in a nationwide broadcast? Were permission forms signed allowing the school to distribute the images of these children? Did the Kipp East Community Primary school ever think about asking Channel One to pay for each child’s performance? I don’t think so.
And yes, these precious schoolchildren are performing for a large audience. These children made a commercial for a private company based in New York City. This is a promotional video that benefits the financial interests of Channel One. It is normal and expected for a company like Channel One to pay people who appear in a video like this one.
What is the union scale for a performer, with a speaking role, in a video of this length? I don’t know. However, I do know it’s not zero.
Boo! to Channel One News and Boo! to the people who run this Kipp charter school. Let’s hope they learned their lesson and won’t misuse their students like this again.
Watch the video: C1 intro Feb 13 3rd graders
From Channel One’s transcript for February 13, 2018:
Students: This is Ms. Milan’s third-grade ELA class from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Channel One News starts right now! Happy Mardi Gras!
Azia: Looks like Mardi Gras fever is taking over KIPP East Community Primary in New Orleans — love it, guys! I am Azia Celestino.
