From Jim Metrock:
Channel One News has always been considered a joke by the vast majority of American educators. (“You want a school to give up one hour of school time EACH WEEK so you can show students commercials? In exchange for the rental use of an outdated TV network??”) But one of the most humorous things Channel One News has ever done was publish their list of things they would never “consider” advertising to kids.
I have met Channel One executives over the years and I have asked them about this list. I would say something like, “You got to be kidding, right?” What adult would think it is necessary to say they would not “consider” advertising beer to middle school students? or pistols to high school students? Bravo to Channel One News for drawing the line at no commercials for X-rated movies. What a bunch of marketing morons these clowns are.
This week Channel One News’ official website, the one that is promoted ceaselessly on the in-classroom Channel One News show, has begun advertising tampons. Visitors to channelone.com who click on the ad are taken off Channel One’s web site and sent to the advertiser’s site (see below). On a children’s web site like Channel One’s a screen is suppose to pop up and inform the child that they are about to taken away from the site they originally intended to visit. Channel One News has no such warnings.
Channel One News has a long history of violating the terms and conditions they promised educators they would abide by. This is strange because these restrictions were written by Channel One lawyers not by educators. Channel One PROMISED educators and administrators that their show would have no more than 2 minutes of advertising. That is a big joke. Channel One routinely is over that limit.
Channel One PROMISED the entire show would be no longer than 12 minutes, but they have expanded the show upwards to over 13 minutes. (Channel One’s thinking is: Who is going to know? After all what teacher is going to take time to time the show?)
The list below is copied from Channel One’s terms and conditions:
2) Products and/or Services that Will Not Be Considered for COCC Programming
A. Abortion clinics
B. Alcoholic beverages (including beer, wine and distilled spirits)
C. Contraceptive products
D. Firearms, ammunition and fireworks
E. Gambling
F. “Head Shops” or other establishments whose activity concentrates on drug related paraphernalia
G. Lotteries
H. Motion pictures rated “R”, “NC17” or “X” by the Motion Picture Association of America
I. Prescription drugs
J. Tampons or other feminine hygiene products
K. Political advertisements
L. Religious time
M. Solicitation of funds
N. Tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and “smokeless tobacco”)
This is part of the page children that children go to when they click on the tampon ad on Channel One’s website.
