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.
Flocab drops Channel One News
From Jim Metrock: The hip hop education publisher Flocabulary has ended their relationship with Channel One News according to a spokesperson for Flocabulary. Channel One News featured Flocab’s Week in Rap every Friday. This helped Channel One fill up its Friday show with content it did not have to create. When it...
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What do English teachers think of Houghton Mifflin’s Channel One TV show?
Houghton Mifflin’s quest to enter classroom advertising business will draw ire of teachers. 1992 Resolution still NTCE’s position. From Jim Metrock: Early on, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) passed this resolution opposing Channel One. This position statement is as strong as it gets. The NCTE urges teachers...
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What will Houghton Mifflin/Channel One do about parents?
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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Congratulations to Channel One News.
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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Houghton Mifflin’s Linda Zecher becomes new Queen of Classroom Junk Food Ads
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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Would you like a high sugar junk drink with that movie?
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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Kettler adds another title.
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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Houghton Mifflin/Channel One plays dirty trick on First Lady
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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An interview (of sorts) with Channel One’s CEO CJ Kettler
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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