BORDER=”0″ NATURALSIZEFLAG=”3″>Mt.Dew is a long-time advertiser on Channel One. They consistently
run loud and hilarious commercials that would draw the attention
of even the most serious student in the class. Mt. Dew must be
very pleased with the effectiveness of Channel One. The goal
of Channel One is to get kids to buy and used (drink) their advertiser’s
products. That will result in advertisers remaining with Channel
One and they may even pay higher ad rates for this unique captive
audience. The fact that children should be consuming less of
products like Mt. Dew has made no impression on Channel One.
"In October 1998, the Center for Science
in the Public Interest released a study on the perils of excessive
soft drink consumption among teens. Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks
are Harming Americans’ Health revealed that soda consumption
among 13- to 18-year-olds is up 80 percent from 20 years ago.
The nonprofit health advocacy organization urges parents as well
as schools to discourage soft drink consumption and get rid of
soda vending machines, just as they have banished smoking."
Two companies have been critical to Channel
One’s continued existence: Mars, Inc. (Snickers, Twix, M&Ms)
and PepsiCo (Pepsi, Mug Root Beer, Mt. Dew).
It is obvious that Channel One has been very
effective in increasing the sales of candy and high-sugar, high
caffeine soft drinks to impressionable children. These two advertisers
have been with Channel One for at least seven years.
What Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science
in the Public Interest sees as "liquid candy" (soft
drinks), Channel One sees as "liquid assets" (cash).
ALIGN=”LEFT” BORDER=”0″ NATURALSIZEFLAG=”3″> | 
BORDER=”0″ NATURALSIZEFLAG=”3″> |
= money for Channel One "educators"
BORDER=”0″ NATURALSIZEFLAG=”3″>This is "health
food" to Channel One executives.
1. Hostess advertises on Channel One. 2. More
kids eat Twinkies. 3. Hostess understands the power of Channel
One and spends more on commercials. 4. Channel One’s financial
picture becomes even more "healthier."
ALIGN=”BOTTOM” BORDER=”0″ NATURALSIZEFLAG=”0″>
Dr. Paul Folkemer, Channel One VP, goes around the country
telling parents not to worry about Channel One because he is
a former middle school principal and he approves all commercials.
In his three years with Channel One, Dr. Folkemer has approved
hundreds of soft drink commercials for his youthful captive audience.
Dr. Folkemer has approved hundreds of candy bar commercials.
Bon Appetit, Kids.
(picture from Channel One’s defunct ChannelOneParents.com.
They put some self-promotional content on this site last year
and then never maintained it. Makes sense. There is no such thing
as a Channel One parent.)
From Jim Metrock: Now Channel
One is pushing children to eat more Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies.
These new commercials will be added to the Snickers, Twix, Skittles,
Spree, and M&Ms commercials that Channel One shameless brings
into classrooms. Of course, Channel One would like the kids to
wash that high sugar garbage down with a big Mt. Dew or Pepsi.
Our children are harmed by this. The studies are coming out left
and right that there is an obesity crisis and diabetes crisis
with our children. It is unconscionable that our public schools
are allowing this controversial marketing company to be peddling
this junk food to children during their school day.
Surely this is not what schools
signed up for when they decided to experiment with Channel One
back in the early 90’s. This company is making big money off of
advertising candy and high sugar soft drinks to a group of Americans
that is getting fatter and more unhealthy. They are harming children
as surely as if they were slugging children as they come into
the school house.
Channel One’s VP of Education
Dr. Paul Folkemer has gone on record as saying that Channel One
is doing nothing wrong by advertising candy and soft drinks to
its young captive audience.
These executives are taking home
big salaries that come from companies like PepsiCo and M&M/Mars.
These executives will not change their ways on their own. They
are not going to turn down M&M/Mars money simply because there
is an epidemic of childhood obesity. We the public have to correct
this. Believe me, we can do it. In my home state of Alabama, a
school system with Channel One is not viewed very favorably. Having
Channel One in your schools is nothing a principal or superintendent
boasts about. I urge those in other states to become active in
fighting for commercial-free schools. Make sure that your public
school district removes Channel One this school year.
