Jim Metrock

It wasn’t close. Every high school principal and assistant principal signed on to a resolution urging the removal of Channel One from their schools. The Shelby County Reporter editorially called for the unplugging of this advertising ploy. Superintendent Evan Major recommended the immediate termination of Channel One. The board voted 3-1 to pull the...
Read More »

Superintendent Donnie Breaseale called Obligation, Inc. and said he inherited the Channel One contract and that several schools have already discontinued showing the program. When he was a principal, Mr. Breaseale did not allow Channel One into his school. Now as superintendent, he is overseeing the structured removal of Channel One from the system. “Our state is enriched by the...
Read More »

[From Obligation – Channel One is targeting our children again. This time they are going to have principals hand out samples of advertisers’ products during school time. Obligation has not heard of "Channel One Cover Concepts Marketing Services" but it appears to have the same purpose as Channel One News. This outrageous abuse of...
Read More »

Channel One had removed several features from their controversial web site after a Channel One executive was lectured by the Shelby County board of education on September 1 (see below). They removed the "Entertainment" and "Life" sections that often contained age inappropriate material for children, especially pre-teens (such as reviews of R-rated movies and...
Read More »

  The past few weeks we have gotten behind in updating our web page. Events have been happening very fast and I will try to fill in the gaps.   Basically, our Channel One project is succeeding beyond our expectations. Channel One is “on the ropes” in Alabama. They might rally and reestablish themselves...
Read More »

(Birmingham, AL) High school principals and assistant principals in Shelby County have come out against the controversial in-school TV show called Channel One. In a letter to Shelby County Superintendent of Education, Evan Major, the Shelby County Secondary Principals Association conveyed their position. From the letter: “In a unanimous decision, the Secondary Principals Association supports the following proposal: ALL HIGH...
Read More »

After two years of putting their own interests ahead of the welfare of children, Channel One has finally halted their chat rooms for children. Obligation feels somewhat responsible for the slow evolution in Channel One’s thinking. At one time Channel One allowed children to enter into "private rooms" with anonymous Internet users. At one...
Read More »

Alabama’s second largest school system, Jefferson County, has taken the very responsible action of halting the required viewing of Channel One. This does not mean they are opposed to the program or in support of the program. This appears to be a very reasonable response to a controversial issue. "I applaud Jefferson County’s decision...
Read More »

CHANNEL ONE COMPARISON OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES TOP TEN PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES SYSTEM EXPENDITURES CHANNEL ONE MOUNTAIN BROOK CITY $6,241 NO HOOVER CITY $5,732 NO HUNTSVILLE CITY $5,471 NO SHEFFIELD CITY $5,470 NO FLORENCE CITY $5,422 NO DECATUR CITY $5,410 NO LINDEN CITY $5,374 YES AUBURN CITY $5,328 NO ANNISTON CITY...
Read More »

On Channel One’s web site several recent notes on the message board have been critical of Channel One. These appear to be from students in schools that make Channel One mandatory viewing. Two of the writers talk about ads or promotions on Channel One that featured pagers, or beepers, that kids could either buy or win. In the Birmingham,...
Read More »