Does your school still have Channel One News?
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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.

Ghastly Use of Advertising By Channel One News Demeans Columbia Astronauts

February 3, 2003
Ghastly Use of Advertising By Channel One News Demeans Columbia Astronauts

Today the Channel One TV show in schools asked students to go to channelone.com to read more about the Columbia story. Children who did this were presented with a button that they could click to go to a photo gallery presumably to honor the heros of the Columbia Shuttle. Once at the galley a...
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Channel One Anchor Gives Interview

January 30, 2003
Channel One Anchor Gives Interview

Seth Doane (Channel One anchor): “…Even Channel One has done things I’ve raised a stink about.” Reporter: “For instance?” Doane:. “On the record? I’ll pass. Let’s just say you hope you can uphold basic standards and keep your job.” Mr. Doane points out one of the problems at Channel One News. He “hopes” he can...
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Laura Ling. Star!

January 30, 2003
Laura Ling. Star!

January 30, 2003 Laura Ling. Star!
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Another One Bites The Dust

January 29, 2003

Schools end their relationship with Channel One By JOHN CHRISTIE, Middletown Press Staff January 25, 2003 CROMWELL — Cromwell Middle School will soon lose 15 televisions, a video recorder and a satellite dish, now that the school has stopped doing business with the Channel One Network. Middle School Principal H. B. Dumeer said the...
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World Health Organization Mentions Channel One’s Role In Obesity Crisis

January 29, 2003

War is breaking out over junk food and sugary drinks. The World Health Organisation says they are making children obese, and governments should clamp down on them. The hugely powerful multinationals involved say that’s rubbish. Sarah Boseley investigates Thursday January 9, 2003 The Guardian There was a time when children drank water or milk. That has gone...
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Major Effort To Get Students To Buy Craig David’s Newest CD

January 24, 2003
Major Effort To Get Students To Buy Craig David’s Newest CD

From Jim Metrock: This week, Channel One News has rolled out a major promotional effort to get students to purchase the new CD from a British musician named Craig David. Students are urged to enter a contest to win a concert at their school. Their principal must give written approval for the Craig David...
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Montana School District Rejects Channel One “Free” TVs

January 18, 2003

From the Bozeman (Montana) Daily Chronicle: Three Forks board nixes Channel One By NICK GEVOCK, Chronicle Staff Writer The Three Forks School Board has decided not to contract for broadcasts of a national teenage news service. The board was considering a contract with Channel One News, a national news service that reports on current events in a...
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Channel One Advertises Another “Heavy Alcohol” Movie

January 17, 2003
Channel One Advertises Another “Heavy Alcohol” Movie

Warner Brothers has a new movie. It’s called “Kangraroo Jack”. It is rated “PG” which means there is a parental warning because of the film’s content. Reviewers say the movie should have received a tougher rating. Screenit.com rates the alcohol/drug content of this movie as “Heavy”. The only higher rating for content is “Extreme.” One of the greatest concerns...
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Another Soft Drink Is Advertised On Channel One

January 16, 2003
Another Soft Drink Is Advertised On Channel One

How do you get children to add another soft drink to their diets? You enlist Channel One’s help. PepsiCo wants teens and pre-teens to start drinking their relatively new lemon-lime carbonated beverage – Sierra Mist. PepsiCo is one of Channel One’s largest advertisers for over six years. Channel One is running this ad on their web site www.channelone.com. It...
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New York Times Front Page Article Rips Channel One

January 14, 2003

Monday’s New York Times had a front page article (Eat Your Vegetables? Only at a Few Schools”) that mentions Channel One. I provide the link below and the section that mentioned Channel One. The New York Times has a free site but you need to register. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/13/national/13LUNC.html “In most schools across the country the cafeteria...
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