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: Parents have always been a problem for Channel One. Now that problem is Houghton Mifflin’s problem. Channel One is a company that brings TV commercials into American classrooms. That’s why the company was created; that’s why the company exists today. When Channel One aired commercials for movies and...
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From Jim Metrock: It’s June 2014 and I congratulate Channel One for winning four! Telly Awards. The article below was published on June 22, 2012., yet it is still timely. Channel One Wins Five!! Telly Awards From Jim Metrock: When Channel One News does something right, I have to congratulate...
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From Jim Metrock: Since May 13 Channel One News has been under the control of Linda Zecher the CEO of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The arrangement for Channel One’s CJ Kettler to report directly to Ms. Zecher shows the closeness Zecher is to decision making at Channel One. When Houghton Mifflin Harcourt acquired Channel One,...
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Houghton Mifflin OKs junk food and movie ads for middle school students. From Jim Metrock: Think Channel One would improve under their new owner Houghton Mifflin? It is still too early to make a firm judgment about the new Houghton Mifflin/Channel One entity, but it’s not looking good. Check out this clip from the May...
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From Jim Metrock: Ms. CJ Kettler is now a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Senior Vice President. Sweet. That didn’t take long. It is obvious that Houghton Mifflin is excited about having Ms. Kettler on board. According to the Boston Business Journal, Ms. Kettler will surprisingly report directly to HMH’s CEO Linda Zecher. That has to miff...
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From Jim Metrock: Channel One’s CEO Ms. CJ Kettler has advertised Sunny D junk drink ads along side healthy lifestyle public service announcements before. Click here. It is hoped that no nonprofit organization that in any way promotes healthy living for young people will ever again partner with Channel One News, now owned by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Why would any...
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Channel One’s CJ Kettler gives first interview since 2012 hiring. Interviewer serves up powder puff questions for secretive executive. For the full interview click here. From Jim Metrock: How secretive is CJ Kettler? She didn’t want anyone to know she was hired to be CEO of Channel One. She had been in...
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From Jim Metrock: The recent acquisition of Channel One by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt may mean all these on-air personalities will be back next year. Houghton Mifflin has given Channel One a big boost. Channel One’s advertising revenue had to have taken a big hit this past year – there were so few full-paying spots...
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From Jim Metrock: Channel One News held its first, and more than likely last, Google Hangout this afternoon. It was a sad thing to watch. I mean real sad. It was like watching the movie This is Spinal Tap, but without the laughs. In the movie Spinal Tap is a rock band that finds...
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And yes, the National Education Association is STILL opposed to Channel One in American classrooms.
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