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.
Why is Channel One News unwelcome in American schools?
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...
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Wastin’ Time & Tax Dollar$ at Ross Middle School
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...
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Letter to the editor – Sept. 5, 2011 – Still valid.
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...
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Updated: Warner Middle School (OH) nominated for Wastin’ Time & Tax Dollar$
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...
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Talking about Channel One News: Wayne Teague (1989)
“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
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Gay marriage – TOP story for middle school students, REALLY?
Channelone.com replay of May 10 program blacks out two sections of its report on President Obama changing his position on gay marriage. What did Channel One show students that it won’t allow parents to see? Channel One’s obsession with covering gay rights issues becoming a problem for middle and elementary school administrators. ...
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Dead Sara
Warning: Explicit language Channel One News wants kids to buy and listen to Dead Sara songs so they can vote on their favorite song. From Dead Sara’s Myspace page: “Ironically, ‘We Are What You Say’ is Dead Sara’s poppiest song, ‘though it’s still kind of gnarly and sleazy,’ Medley notes. ‘It’s like,...
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Starting to see the Big Picture. Why Channel One News wants the captive elementary school audience.
Last year Channel One News announced they were teaming up with the UK whiteboard company Promethean Limited to roll out an elementary school version of their in-school TV show. Many people may not know that Channel One has always coveted the elementary school market, going back to the early 90’s. This New York Times...
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