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.
June 1, 2012 – And that’s a wrap. No more Channel One News until August 13. That’s assuming ZelnickMedia, Channel One’s ultimate owner, doesn’t quietly shut the doors on this financially struggling enterprise. Why no Channel One News during the summer? Don’t young people need a news source now that school is...
Read More »
Entire show is a commercial for Disney/ABC. Promise of 2-minute limit on daily advertising abandoned. Watch this video to understand why Channel One News has lost over 1/3 of their school contracts since 2003. Taxpayers across the country helped to subsidize the promotion of four Disney/ABC TV shows on Channel One News. Students...
Read More »
Channel One News program length commercial for Disney/ABC TV shows Part 1: Channel One News program length commercial for Disney/ABC TV shows Part 2: Channel One News program length commercial for Disney/ABC TV shows Part 3:
Read More »
Take a walk through a portion of the Channel One News Hall of Shame. By being reckless with their captive audience of schoolchildren, Channel One News has made itself a pariah among educators. Comments by Jim Metrock. 1. Stealth TV (2001) True or False: Two students in Ohio are sent to the Wood County...
Read More »
Principal Brown apparently doesn’t mind his students wasting time watching commercials for movies, TV shows, and rock bands on Channel One. He even has named a period of the school day after this youth marketing firm. Mr. Brown is a government employee. Ross Middle School is a government entity. Channel One is a private...
Read More »
Schools should suspend Channel 1 until studied Birmingham News In more than 300 Alabama secondary schools, students will close their books and watch commercials for upcoming movies and video games. Students will also enjoy video clips from rock bands selling their latest music. This madness is happening because schools have signed a contract with...
Read More »
Updated May 16, 2012: From Jim Metrock: The “Yuck Factor” when it comes to Channel One at Warner Middle School has just soared. A parent sent me a link to the school handbook where the school’s devotion to the hyper-commercial Channel One TV show is clear. On normal school days, Channel One will be shown during...
Read More »
“I am appalled by this effort (Channel One’s effort to bring commercials into AL secondary school classrooms). I urge you not enter this or any other agreement which subjects students to commercial advertising.” Wayne Teague, Alabama State Superintendent of Education in a letter to district superintendents – September 27, 1989
Read More »
