(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...
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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.
Press Release -Local Group Applauds Shelby County Secondary Principals Stand on Channel One
Channel One Update From Jim Metrock
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...
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Channel One Melt Down Around Corner?
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...
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Channel One Temporarily Halts Dangerous Chat Rooms For Kids
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...
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Alabama Department of Education Survey – School Districts And Channel One
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...
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Did Channel One Advertise Pagers To Children?
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,...
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Editorial – The Birmingham News- “Channel One – There are better uses of student time, taxpayer dollars”
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
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
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
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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