Channel One News appears to be cutting out all commercials from its webcast.
If parents and the public can’t see what is being advertised to students, then they can’t complain.
Alloy Media and Marketing, the new owners of Channel One News, have apparently issued orders to Channel One to remove all the advertising on the company’s daily webcast. For the last month, no commercials have appeared on the webcast, which is suppose to be the the exact content that schoolchildren see in their classrooms.
Obligation had thought that there were no commercials because advertisers have refused to be on the show, but now it is obvious that the ads are simply being cut from the program so that parents and the public cannot see what is being pitched to the students.
It is difficult to contact Channel One’s management to determine exactly what is happening with the commercials because there appears to be no person in charge of running the company. The previous president and CEO Judy Harris disappeared without fanfare sometime in July or August. No one has been named to take her place. So the company is drifting without a chief executive officer.
Obligation has sent an email to the webmaster of the ChannelOne.com site and have asked specifically if they are removing the commercials. There has been no response from the company.
Obligation’s Jim Metrock said, "Channel One is telling parents that what is being advertised to their children is none of their business. If Channel One News thinks this will be acceptable to the public they are wrong. We gave Channel One an opportunity to set the record straight and as usual they believe they don’t have to answer to anyone. Are ads for offensive movies back on Channel One News? Are they advertising the sleazy, Alloy-created Gossip Girls TV show? Are junk food commercials back on the show? Parents in the past could monitor the show from the Channel One web site, now they can’t. Add another reason for parents to demand that their school turn off Channel One."
