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.

Benefits and Costs of Channel One in a Middle School Setting and the Role of Media-Literacy Training

April 3, 2012
Benefits and Costs of Channel One in a Middle School Setting and the Role of Media-Literacy Training

  This article was published in the journal Pediatrics in 2006.    Benefits and Costs of Channel One in a Middle School Setting and the Role of Media-Literacy Training OBJECTIVES. Channel One is a public-affairs program that includes 10 minutes of news and 2 minutes of paid product advertising or public service announcements. Advocates assert that...
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Complete, unedited Channel One News for October 1, 2002

March 30, 2012
Complete, unedited Channel One News for October 1, 2002

Channel One News: You’re a loser if you wear glasses. (Acuvue contact lens commercials)      
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Warning: More filthy content from Channel One News-advertised gURL.com

March 29, 2012
Warning: More filthy content from Channel One News-advertised gURL.com

  From Jim Metrock: Want to see what children will see on Channel One’s sister company’s site?  No, you don’t, but we’ll show you anyhow. This type of content is found all over gURL.com. Obligation has pleaded with Dr. Paul Folkemer (Channel One’s “child advocate” and SVP) and Kent Haehl (Channel One’s CEO) to...
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Sell, sell, sell: The homepage for Channel One News

March 27, 2012
Sell, sell, sell: The homepage for Channel One News


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Another “Winner” Portage High School

March 23, 2012
Another “Winner” Portage High School

“Channel One” is on the Portage High School bell schedule. It is not often we find high schools carving out formal time for Channel One’s news/marketing show. Middle schools do that, but generally high schools are trying to eliminate as much non-academic time as possible. We emailed the principal to confirm they are still...
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Channel One News pitches Red Bull and violent video games to middle schoolers

March 22, 2012
Channel One News pitches Red Bull and violent video games to middle schoolers

  From Jim Metrock: Red Bull is an “energy drink” that has been the  target of criticism concerning the possible health risks associated with the caffeine and sugar drink. Channel One News is once again giving the drink some marketing time in American classrooms.  Channel One doesn’t run a commercial for Red Bull, but they...
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Dr. Paul Folkemer and Kent Haehl of Channel One continue to ignore our pleas to stop advertising gURL.com to kids.

March 20, 2012
Dr. Paul Folkemer and Kent Haehl of Channel One continue to ignore our pleas to stop advertising gURL.com to kids.

What advice does gURL.com give to children? Click here but be warned. This is explicit material created by Alloy Media and Marketing. Alloy owns gURL.com and Channel One News. Both controversial companies cross promote each other. Parents and teachers should be outraged. Another reason why schools continue dropping Channel One from their school day....
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Hebron High loves Channel One News

March 17, 2012
Hebron High loves Channel One News

    From Jim Metrock: The big thing here is not that some students at Hebron High School did this video for Channel One’s benefit. The important thing is this video means Hebron H.S. is still showing Channel One and its commercials during its school day.  (This after 1/3 of Channel One schools have...
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School time will be used to promote The Hunger Games movie. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?

March 15, 2012
School time will be used to promote The Hunger Games movie. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?

    See for yourself:  
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Our email to CEO Kent Haehl and Channel One’s “child advocate” Dr. Paul Folkemer

March 12, 2012
Our email to CEO Kent Haehl and Channel One’s “child advocate” Dr. Paul Folkemer

                                        Jim Metrock [email protected] via gmail.com  Mar 9 to pfolkemer, khaehl   Both of you well know the content of gurl.com. It makes no sense for two men who have children and grandchildren to be exposing...
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