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.

Why Channel One News was removed from schools (Oct. 2001): Sleazy MTV

September 8, 2018
Why Channel One News was removed from schools (Oct. 2001): Sleazy MTV

Last week, Primedia’s CEO Tom Rogers proudly told a conference call for investment analysts that Channel One will continue their relationship with MTV. There will be another special on Channel One that will be coproducer by MTV. It will air before the end of the year. Most parents understand the offensive content on MTV. MTV...
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Channel One News Hall of Shame (Jan 1999): “Millennium Minute” To “Creatively Integrate Your Brand” With the News

September 6, 2018

“Teach the news” is Channel One’s latest slogan. Channel One has rolled out this slogan and hired new people and reassigned people in an attempt to look like an educational company as opposed to the corporate child predator that it is. Channel One’s “news” is secondary to its commercials and their newest campaign confirms it. Channel One is...
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Here’s a wonderful sight.

August 16, 2018
Here’s a wonderful sight.

Here’s a photo of a bunch of kiddie marketers waving goodbye to their handful of fans.  Their kiddie marketing company has gone out of business. Boo hoo. All of these people, whether they worked in front of the camera or behind, were involved in the commercial exploitation of schoolchildren.  They earned their paycheck by...
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Channel One News Bad Guy: Congressman Bradley Byrne (R) AL

August 1, 2018
Channel One News Bad Guy: Congressman Bradley Byrne (R) AL

From Jim Metrock: Bradley Bryne sold out Alabama schoolchildren when he was a member of the Alabama State Board of Education. He is now a congressman representing South Alabama. He was one of the first persons Ms. Pat Ellis, Obligation’s education director, and I approached on the State Board to oppose Channel One in...
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Gaze on this to understand how bad Channel One News was.

July 21, 2018
Gaze on this to understand how bad Channel One News was.

From Jim Metrock: This is a piece of Channel One News sales literature. It’s sickening. Look at the face they used.  It’s a young person who is completely attentive to the Channel One TV screen.  He can’t go anywhere.  He can’t ask for the channel to be changed. He IS the captive audience Channel One...
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Two reasons Channel One News is gone.

July 15, 2018
Two reasons Channel One News is gone.

From Jim Metrock:  This is a flyer I printed up in 2013 and sent to school board members across the country. Channel One News advertised both these movies to middle school students, some just out of elementary school.  These aren’t the worst movies Channel One News urged children to see, however, they do help...
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A look back at Channel One’s “Bad Guys”: Ralph Reed

July 14, 2018
A look back at Channel One’s “Bad Guys”: Ralph Reed

From Jim Metrock: Now that Channel One is done, I think it is worthwhile to drag out the names of all those that helped this kiddie marketing firm stay so long in our classrooms. When Ralph Reed was a consultant/ lobbyist for Channel One News, he was utterly unscrupulous. In my mind, he was worst...
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Why Channel One is out of classrooms: Channel One’s lobbying thugs. (2006)

July 10, 2018
Why Channel One is out of classrooms: Channel One’s lobbying thugs. (2006)

The next day, Mr. Abramoff wrote to Ms. Ridenour: Amy, can you get me an invoice for a contribution for $10,000 which I can push through Channel One? Jeff has asked for this so we can get something to you asap. Thanks. On March 13, 2000, Dennis Stephens forwarded a commentary from R.D. Davis,...
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A look back at the Channel One “Bad Guys”: Kent Haehl and Dr. Paul Folkemer

July 7, 2018
A look back at the Channel One “Bad Guys”: Kent Haehl and Dr. Paul Folkemer

This article is from April 25, 2013:   Spring house cleaning continues at marketing company Channel One. A look back at the man who loved to connect advertisers with children.   In the early 2000’s when  he was Channel One’s VP of Sales Kent Haehl knew that there was an obesity crisis developing among...
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Advocates for commercial-free schools cheer as Channel One signs off

July 6, 2018
Advocates for commercial-free schools cheer as Channel One signs off

Advocates for commercial-free schools cheer as Channel One signs off Thursday, July 5, 2018 Contact: David Monahan, CCFC (david@commercialfreechildhood.org; 617-896-9397) Advocates for commercial-free schools cheer as Channel One signs off Kids lost learning time to in-class broadcasts with corporate marketing BOSTON, MA — July 5, 2018 — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has announced the end...
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