(Instant Win banner ad at Channel One web site) Teachers have a chance to win $7,800 from Channel One. The “winners” have to agree to participate in Channel One’s advertising and promotion. The “winners” should be kicked out of the teaching profession.
April 11, 2001 – Teachers Grabbing For Channel One Cash, Ethics Problems Galore
The marketing geniuses at Channel One have come up with a way to stuff cash into the pockets of teachers who make children watch their TV show. Channel One wants to get teachers to be more favorable to their company so they are running a contest open only to teachers in schools with Channel One. There is a separate contest for librarians and others who are in charge of operating the Channel One equipment in schools.
Jim Metrock said, “Teachers are being solicited to endorse and promote Channel One. This is about as sad as it gets for our marketing friends at Channel One. They can’t get teachers to say anything good about them so they have to dangle money in front of them. How insulting to teachers.”
| From the Channel One Contest page:
“By accepting the prize, the winner agrees that the Sponsor (Channel One) and those acting under the Sponsor’s authority, may use the winner’s name, picture/portrait likeness and/or voice, for advertising and promotional purposes without further consideration, unless prohibited by law. By entering this Sweepstakes entrants are giving permission for their first name, school, and state to be posted on teachworld.com the day after an entrant is recognized as a winner.” |
Metrock said, “There are four random drawings for $50 gift certificates each day until May 25. A teacher who gets a gift certificate automatically agrees to become a part of the Channel One advertising campaign. This may be in violation of state ethics laws. The Alabama Ethics Commission prevents public employees from using their position to get more benefits than they are due. This contest may get Alabama teachers in trouble. We will let the Alabama Ethics Commission determine if a teacher is in violation of the Ethics law. Any teacher who is showing Channel One’s commercials to a captive audience of students ought to be ashamed of themselves. Any teacher who goes further and takes money from Channel One via this contest is a disgrace to the teaching profession. A teacher who allows themselves to be used by this controversial company in their advertising ought to be immediately fired.”
Correction: Upon rereading Channel One’s contest rules, it appears we were wrong to state there would be a final drawing for $7,800. Although the rules are not clearly written, it appears that a total of $7,800 will be given away with the daily $50 gift certificates drawings. The “Key Op” (equipment operators) contest will have one drawing for $500.
Read the rules for Channel One’s contest: http://www.teach1.com/community/instant_rules.htm
| Email sent to Paul Folkemer from Jim Metrock 4/11/01
Subject: You better hope no contest winners are from Alabama Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] http://teachworld.about.com/cgi/sweeps
Dear Dr. Folkemer: We will soon run an article on your $7,800 contest for teachers and equipment operators. I can almost sense the desperation at Channel One when I see these carnival stunts. There have been few public school teachers who have ever publicly praised or defended your company in Alabama. There is a reason teachers are silent on your company – the Alabama Ethics Commission. If a public employee uses their position to promote a product, like Channel One, and they receive compensation for that… well, they most likely will be in violation of the Ethics law. I don’t think you want to encourage an Alabama teacher or librarian to violate our state’s Ethics law. Your $50 daily prize will be enough to get a teacher in trouble. Don’t take my word on this. Get Martin Christie to call the Alabama Ethics Commission in Montgomery. He needs to earn some of that money you pay him. I am not an expert on our law but I do know that if I see an Alabama winner, and their likeness or words are used in any fashion to endorse or promote Ch1, I will file an ethics complaint against that person. A teacher that would allow their students to be sold to a company like yours and then pocket cash from a Channel One contest, should not be in a classroom. Here is the link to the Alabama Ethics Commission if you don’t want to disturb Mr. Christie. http://www.ethics.alalinc.net/index.cfm Check out Code of Alabama 1975 Section 36-25-5(a) You probably will be putting teachers and librarians in jeopardy in a number of states. Is Channel One going to defend and make whole each teacher you get in trouble or fired? Stop this before it hurts a teacher. A teacher needs to know that this is not a risk-free contest.
From the Southern Barricade, Jim Metrock |
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