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.

Find the eight Army ads on Channelone.com’s home page.

April 18, 2012
Find the eight Army ads on Channelone.com’s home page.

http://www.channelone.com/video/dream-strong/ From Jim Metrock: Channel One News is surviving because our federal government continues to place military recruitment ads on the in-school TV show and on Channelone.com. Channel One News has become primarily a federal government supported news show. That should send chills down the backs of all Americans. Channel One has tailored many...
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As advertised on Channel One News: Zelda video game (2003)

April 17, 2012
As advertised on Channel One News: Zelda video game (2003)

 
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Pop Quiz Challenge challenges school administrators patience with Channel One’s over-the-top teen marketing.

April 17, 2012
Pop Quiz Challenge challenges school administrators patience with Channel One’s over-the-top teen marketing.

  Next month, Channel One News will spend an entire show doing a Pop Quiz that is little more than a 12-minute long commercial for four ABC TV shows. Check out the absurdity from May 25, 2011. https://obligation.org/2011-06-03-channel-one-news-a-program-length-commercial  
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As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: FindTuition.com (1996)

April 16, 2012
As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: FindTuition.com (1996)

   
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What happened to Justin Finch?

April 15, 2012
What happened to Justin Finch?

From Jim Metrock: If a young person is interested in journalism, electronic journalism, the last place they want to spend any time is at Channel One News. Unless you look like Maria Menounos or have Gloria Vanderbilt as your mother (Anderson Cooper), your chances of using Channel One as a springboard for advancement are...
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As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: Cinn-a-burst gum (1996)

April 13, 2012
As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: Cinn-a-burst gum (1996)

 
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South Dakota middle school has chance to win $250

April 12, 2012
South Dakota middle school has chance to win $250

No surprise here. Huron Middle earned this nomination.   https://obligation.org/2012-04-09-huron-middle-school-sd https://obligation.org/2011-09-29-announcing-the-wastin-time-and-tax-money-award  
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As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: M&Ms (1996)

April 10, 2012
As advertised in classrooms on Channel One News: M&Ms (1996)

 
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Huron Middle School (SD)

April 9, 2012
Huron Middle School (SD)

       
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As advertised on Channel One News: Marines (2002)

April 9, 2012
As advertised on Channel One News: Marines (2002)


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