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.
As advertised on Channel One News: Candy, video games, wireless service, Gatorade (2003)
Channel One News has a long history of advertising candy to its captive audience of schoolchildren.
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Complete, unedited Channel One News for January 22, 2002
Why Channel One News is so controversial? Watch these video clips: https://obligation.org/video-from-channel-one-news
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Complete, unedited Channel One News for January 31, 2005
Channel One News prevents parents from seeing the commercials they show to students. Here is exactly what students saw in their classroom. Note the ugly Acuvue commercial which tells young people they are unattractive if they wear glasses. Channel One News commercials are known for undermining the self esteem of young people.
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Channel One News Hall of Shame: The Pleasures Of Self-Mutilation (2004)
From Jim Metrock: Channel One had a section of their website where young people could discuss things like the “joy” of self-mutilation. I thought a topic like this was unnecessary. Channel One News did not. They continued allowing this type of content to be posted for months after Obligation called on the company...
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From the archives: Channel One News gets an “F” from California state superintendent (May 26, 1989)
From Jim Metrock: Although the state of California has the largest population, and secondary school population, few schools have or have ever had Channel One News. The reason is California educators, school administrators, and parents fought hard to keep this youth marketing firm out of their classrooms. Commercial TV in Classroom...
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As advertised on Channel One News: McDonalds (2003)
McDonalds was a major advertiser on Channel One News until public pressure on McDonalds forced the fast food company to end their classroom advertising.
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From the archives: Unparalleled impact among teen viewers (1999)
Channel One News no longer has 8.1 million teenager viewers. They now claim “nearly” 5.5 million. When they boast of “unparalleled impact among teen viewers” they are not referring to enhancing young people’s knowledge of current events. They are of course referring to the effectiveness of commercials on the show. This piece of sales...
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Talking about Channel One News: Juliet Schor (2005)
From Dr. Juliet Schor’s 2005 book Born to Buy. Juliet B. Schor’s research has focused on the economics of work, spending, environment, and the consumer culture. She is the author of The Overworked American and The Overspent American. Schor is a professor of sociology at Boston College, a former member of the Harvard economics...
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