September 21, 2003 – New York Times reports that PRIMEDIA is still trying to sell Channel One News. When a company buys another company they do a due diligence investigation into the company being bought. If this investigation is done poorly it can mean a disaster for the purchasing company. PRIMEDIA has hired Allen & Company of New York...
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Does your school still have Channel One News?
Learn how to unplug
Houghton Mifflin/Channel One News
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.
For Sale, Make Offer.
Does Channel One News Look Infected?
From Jim Metrock: Somebody at Channel One News really loves the music of Sum 41. A song called “In Too Deep” has been played at least twice on the air since the start of the school year. It must be a very powerful feeling for a person to pick one of their favorite songs and make up to 8...
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If You Wear Glasses, You’re Ugly.
These pictures are from the Acuvue2 commercials that are in heavy rotation on Channel One News in middle and high schools during September 2003. Mo Money! You can almost picture Jim “Sugar Daddy” Ritts stuffing the Johnson&Johnson cash in his pockets. Is he the least bit concerned that it is cruel for Channel One to advertise contact lens to...
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AOL Time Warner
It doesn’t seem right. AOL Time Warner has assets worth $118 BILLION as of June 30, yet they want taxpayers to subsidize their publicity campaign for a movie called Secondhand Lions coming out this Friday. AOL Time Warner made a deal with Channel One News. We are not privy to the details, but it is obvious...
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Gravity Games
In August 2001, Channel One’s parent company, PRIMEDIA, acquired EMAP USA (both of these companies think it is cool to have their names in all caps). PRIMEDIA is basically a magazine publisher and they wanted EMAP’s large collection of magazine titles. However with the purchase PRIMEDIA acquired something called the Gravity Games. This is a TV event, broadcast on...
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Jewel
Jewel Kilcher (a.k.a. Jewel) is a recording artist in need of a comeback. This is where you come in – if you are a taxpayer. Get this – Jewel wants you to help foot the bill for her publicity tour. Jewel had early success in the late 90’s then two years ago disappeared from the public view....
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Wanna Buy A CD?
Channel One’s web site now offers children an easy way to buy CDs. This is a major step for Channel One News. Channel One has an arrangement with Amazon.com to drive children to Amazon’s site to make their CD purchases or DVD purchases. Channel One will receive a “kick back” or a portion of the sales price from...
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Stop The Music
To get the attention of schoolchildren, Channel One News has always played rock and rap music. They play music during the show’s introduction, going into and out of commercial breaks, during Pop Quizzes, during feature stories, and at the end of the show. Of course, there is even more music when a recording artist or band pay to...
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To Channel One Employees
From Jim Metrock: Things are happening. Maybe there are some good things happening for Channel One News. I am sure there must be. Maybe you have signed up a new school here and there. Maybe you have signed up a new advertiser. These may be helpful, but each of you must know what I...
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Jim Ritts: Master Junk Food Marketer To Kids
Channel One News runs ads for McDonalds urging students to eat more french fries to increase chances of winning cash prizes. "We love to see you smile." Ritts was smiling all the way to the bank. Not content just advertising Snickers during class time. Channel One heavily promoted "The Big One." This Snickers bar...
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