Channel One News is a youth marketing company whose main purpose is to get advertising to a captive audience of impressionable schoolchildren. The company loans a school TV equipment in exchange for the school’s contractual pledge to show students a daily, 12-minute, hyper-commercial, TV program called Channel One News. Students lose one hour a week of schools time, which equates to one lost week of instructional time (32 hours) per year. No educational organization endorses the use of Channel One News.
Channel One has fallen on very hard times. Once they claimed over 8 million students were under contract. Since 1997 they have continued to lose schools and now they claim “nearly five million” students and the true figure is probably lower.
In May 2014, publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt acquired Channel One from ZelnickMedia the makers of the ultra-violent Grand Thief Auto video game series. Houghton Mifflin did not disclose the purchase price.
At the end of 2014 most of Channel One’s full-paying advertisers have abandoned the program.
From Jim Metrock: In 2007, Alloy, Inc. issued 150,000 shares of stock in connection with its purchase of Frontline Marketing. Alloy paid $5.8 million for Frontline, which included $1.8 million of stock. Alloy bought Frontline Marketing in...
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Watch Channel One’s commercial: C1 Cybiko 111601 From Jim Metrock: I become ill when I think of what Channel One News has advertised to American schoolchildren. I have been watching their commercials since 1996 up until several years ago when they made it virtually impossible for the public to see their ads. Today, what...
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From Jim Metrock: It appears that Channel One will once again avoid going out of business. I was hoping for an announcement (on May 4) that the infamous “kiddie marketing” firm would cease operations, but I understand now that probably won’t happen. Rats! Channel One News will continue to limp on and pursue its main...
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From the Boston Business Journal: Apr 19, 2017 – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., the Boston-based education publisher facing financial headwinds, said it plans to cut as much as 10 percent of its workforce in effort to save money, according to regulatory filing. With a total workforce of 4,500 workers as of the end of...
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The advertising guru Christopher Whittle created Channel One News in 1989. Whittle sold his idea to schools as a way for students to learn about current events. He sold his idea to advertisers as an effective way to get commercials in front of a captive audience of young people. Whittle Communications (1989-1994) Whittle...
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Note: Today is March 13, 2017. I am posting this article from 2011 because parents and school administrators are denied access to the list of advertisers on the controversial Channel One TV show. By going back in time a little bit, one can get an idea of Channel One’s advertising. This is one of...
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From August 21, 2014 SHOCKER: Houghton Mifflin brings images of ISIS execution into classrooms. Houghton Mifflin’s Channel One News intentionally shows students executioner holding knife before beheading. Why show any pictures of this brutal act of terrorism? Is Houghton Mifflin CEO Linda Zecher pushing Channel One to get edgier with kids? From Jim Metrock: The...
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The writing is on the wall, or rather on the blackboard. It is more and more apparent that Houghton Mifflin Harcourt does not consider Channel One News an important part of its company. In 2014 Houghton Mifflin acquired the assets of Channel One from ZelnickMedia for an undisclosed amount of money. Obligation believes the amount...
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