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: Channel One News has a new on-air personality. He is Keith Kocinski. With his work background and education it is surprising he settled for being a member of Channel One’s “News Team.” But alas, it’s a tough job market out there. Mr. Kocinski probably hasn’t taken the time to learn...
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to help research news stories and help develop educational… no wait, that’s not the duties at all. Wait just a minute – Channel One’s “Research Manager” is all about… advertising and marketing! (Shocking!) This person isn’t going to be focused on benefiting students; this person is focused on focus groups and target marketing of schoolchildren....
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From Jim Metrock: I saw a movie today that was advertised on Channel One News. It was horrific. It was extremely violent. It was repulsive. Channel One News is a small company. It’s CEO Ms. C. J. Kettler has to know what is going on in every aspect of the company. She had...
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From JIm Metrock: Thanks to the teacher who took time to call Channel One’s Demetrius Pipkin on some sloppy reporting. It’s a relatively minor thing, but it does show Channel One’s lack of attention to details. Mr. Pipkin tells students that 63% of people in a new poll are “COMPLETELY opposed” to bombing Syria....
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From Jim Metrock: In 1996 I found out about Channel One News. I was sickened by the thought of schoolchildren being compelled and often forced to view commercials during their school day. Since then Obligation, Inc., the nonprofit I run, has been steadily eroding this marketing company’s presence in American schools. Obligation never...
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Bob McCannon My email to the Media-L list serve (media educators) I’m very sad to hear of Bob McCannon’s death this week. He was a friend and mentor. Bob wanted purity in media education. No conflicts of interests -Don’t allow Big Media to fund efforts to inform the public about Big Media. He...
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From Jim Metrock: Those lovable youth marketers at Channel One are back at it. It’s just August and they are advertising age-inappropriate movies to children. This is standard fare for Channel One. They have done it every year since 1996 when I started to research and report on the company. There was some hope...
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From Jim Metrock: Channel One News had a major overhaul this year in an attempt to stop the relentless stream of schools dropping their TV show. They moved Kent Haehl out of the CEO’s position and put Ms. C. J. Kettler into his spot in order to create a more family-friendly company. They came...
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From Jim Metrock: In the late 90’s, Channel One News had eight reporters on their staff. This school year the controversial youth marketing company has only three reporters. As American schools continue to remove Channel One News from their daily schedules, and their student audience continues to shrink, there simply isn’t enough money...
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