Jim Metrock

Web Site: https://obligation.org


Editorial – The Birmingham News- “Channel One – There are better uses of student time, taxpayer dollars”

August 15, 1998

Alabama’s largest newspaper condemned the in-school, advertising device called Channel One News. In a no-holds-barred editorial, the News blasted the poor business deal Channel One contracts represent. Also the age-inappropriate content was mentioned. The News said the Channel One web site “provided links on its website to pornographic material.” The News may be referring to some other incident(s), but Obligation has...
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State Superintendent Urged To Halt Channel One TV Show for 37 Systems

August 13, 1998

37 Alabama school systems that are on academic "alert" or "caution" status are also losing one hour a week of school time to the controversial TV show called Channel One according to a recently released Alabama Department of Education study. Obligation, a Birmingham-based child advocacy organization, has called on Dr. Ed Richardson to instruct...
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Jefferson County Schools Again Make Mandatory Commercials Part of Curriculum – Local Group Criticizes “Sell-Out” Of Students – Controversial Channel One Remains Required Viewing For Jeffco Secondary Students

August 10, 1998

Over 23,000 Jefferson County system secondary schoolchildren will return to school on Tuesday, August 11, and for yet another year be required to watch the controversial Channel One in-school TV show for up to one hour a week. Channel One is the daily 12-minute news show that contains commercials. Schools get the use of...
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State of Alabama Completes First Ever Statewide Channel One Survey

July 9, 1998

It has taken months to achieve, but now all Alabama public school systems have responded to the State Superintendent’s request for information concerning Channel One. This information will be published on this web site as soon as it is received by Obligation. As many concerned parents and school officials have found out, Channel One will never tell the public what...
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Channel One Suspends Reviewing R-Rated Movies For Children

June 30, 1998

For nearly two years Channel One has reviewed R-rated movies for children visitors to its official web site. many of these movies contained graphic sexual content, ultra-violence, and non-stop profanity. Channel One officials also gave children a link to the movie’s official web site which often contained material not suitable for children. Channel One routinely asked children to send in...
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A Partial Listing of R-Rated Movies Channel One Reviewed At Its Children Web Site – www.channelone.com

June 12, 1998

I Know What You Did Last Summer, Kiss The Girls, Def Jam’s How To Be A Player, Goodfellas, LA Confidential, The Game, Nothing To Lose, Con Air, Face/Off, Soul Food, The Peacemaker, Wild Things, Air Force One, Jackie Brown, Scream 2, Mimic, Switchback, Starship Troopers, The Edge, Pulp Fiction
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Local Group Files FTC Complaint Against Channel One – Personal Information Sought From Children Without Parental Knowledge, Other Problems

June 11, 1998

June 11, 1998 (Birmingham, AL) Obligation, Inc., a local child advocacy organization, filed a complaint today against the Channel One Network with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They are owned by PRIMEDIA, Inc. (formerly K-III Communications), which is majority-owned by Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts. Obligation alleges that Channel One’s web site: · solicits personal information from children without parental approval, ...
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Channel One Web Advertiser Has Links to Pornography

June 10, 1998

A child needs merely to click on "The Mining Company" ad banner on Channel One’s site and he or she is in a site that has links to pornographic pictures. Children are given warnings about the sexual content they will see if they keep clicking, but this site should not be connected to a...
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Satellite Problem To Cost Channel One Up To $5 Million

May 28, 1998

Channel One’s parent company, PRIMEDIA, issued a press release on May 26 preparing investors for lower earnings in their second quarter. It could be up to a $5 million loss caused by the malfunction aboard the Galaxy IV satellite. This summer every dish on every school will have to be readjusted to a new...
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Channel One Goes Dark – Students Freed From Mandatory Broadcast

May 23, 1998

It’s been a fairly bad year for Channel One: growing condemnation of its brash, in-your-face style of marketing to children, a major study showing Channel One is a monumental financial rip-off, a U.S. Senator calling for hearings on Channel One’s waste of school time, and now a freak satellite problem pulls the plug on...
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