From Jim Metrock: An email similar to this one has gone out to dozens of public schools across the country since mid-August. Obligation is continuing to raise awareness of Channel One by concentrating on schools in eight states: Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. This particular email was sent...
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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.
Email to a school – good background on Channel One News controversy
Promethean partners with pariah.
Note: March 5, 2013 – Several months ago Jean-Yves Charlier lost his position at Promethean World. His idiotic decision to partner with Channel One certainly did not help his relations with the board of directors. From Jim Metrock: Big, important people in Big Business make mistakes all the time. Sometimes they make Big...
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The Wastin’ Time and Tax Dollars Award
A school that shows Channel One News wastes school time. The principal, superintendent, and school board members are all responsible for this waste of educational time and tax money. The Wastin’ Time and Tax Dollars Award is Obligation’s opportunity to “honor” the schools and their district that care so little about maximizing school...
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Channel One News for October 18, 2011
Taxpayer-funded school time is used to promote DreamWorks new movie Puss in Boots. Actress Salma Hayek talks directly to Channel One’s captive audience of students plugging the movie. Of course, Channel One uses a Pop Quiz as a long-form commercial for the film. Notice the ad for the drug and alcohol soaked Footloose movie...
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Sharon “Swan” Song
From Jim Metrock: Now we know who in the world would answer Channel One’s want ad below. This ad was published in late August so Channel One was desperate to replace somebody as the broadcast year had already begun. Turns out two on-air personalities were leaving: Steven Fabian and Justin Finch. I don’t...
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Please calmly walk to the exits. There is no need to PANIC!!
Another anchor abruptly leaves Channel One News. Justin Finch is taking his talents to South Beach. From Jim Metrock: Most Channel One on-air personalities leave in June after the last show of the school year. The continuing financial struggles at Channel One may be the reason Steven Fabian and now Justin Finch have...
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Avon Middle School North, Avon, Indiana
2nd Nominee for our Wastin’ Time and Tax Dollars Award From Jim Metrock: Obligation, Inc. has instituted an award that will “honor” public schools that show Channel One News and its commercials during the school day. The award is called the Wastin’ Time & Tax Dollars Award. Obligation will nominate public middle schools and...
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Footloose content no problem for Folkemer and Haehl
From Jim Metrock: Here’s an article from CNN that has some very disturbing comments by the screenwriter of the new Footloose movie. This is the movie that Channel One News has been relentless advertising to kids down to age 11 since mid-September. The only two executives that I know who are left at Channel...
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