Channel One had removed several features from their controversial web site after a Channel One executive was lectured by the Shelby County board of education on September 1 (see below). They removed the "Entertainment" and "Life" sections that often contained age inappropriate material for children, especially pre-teens (such as reviews of R-rated movies and...
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Does your school still have Channel One News?
Learn how to unplug
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Channel One Brings Back Message Boards To Controversial Web Site
Channel One Update From Jim Metrock
The past few weeks we have gotten behind in updating our web page. Events have been happening very fast and I will try to fill in the gaps. Basically, our Channel One project is succeeding beyond our expectations. Channel One is “on the ropes” in Alabama. They might rally and reestablish themselves...
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Press Release -Local Group Applauds Shelby County Secondary Principals Stand on Channel One
(Birmingham, AL) High school principals and assistant principals in Shelby County have come out against the controversial in-school TV show called Channel One. In a letter to Shelby County Superintendent of Education, Evan Major, the Shelby County Secondary Principals Association conveyed their position. From the letter: “In a unanimous decision, the Secondary Principals Association supports the following proposal: ALL HIGH...
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Channel One Temporarily Halts Dangerous Chat Rooms For Kids
After two years of putting their own interests ahead of the welfare of children, Channel One has finally halted their chat rooms for children. Obligation feels somewhat responsible for the slow evolution in Channel One’s thinking. At one time Channel One allowed children to enter into "private rooms" with anonymous Internet users. At one...
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Channel One Melt Down Around Corner?
Alabama’s second largest school system, Jefferson County, has taken the very responsible action of halting the required viewing of Channel One. This does not mean they are opposed to the program or in support of the program. This appears to be a very reasonable response to a controversial issue. "I applaud Jefferson County’s decision...
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Alabama Department of Education Survey – School Districts And Channel One
CHANNEL ONE COMPARISON OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES TOP TEN PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES SYSTEM EXPENDITURES CHANNEL ONE MOUNTAIN BROOK CITY $6,241 NO HOOVER CITY $5,732 NO HUNTSVILLE CITY $5,471 NO SHEFFIELD CITY $5,470 NO FLORENCE CITY $5,422 NO DECATUR CITY $5,410 NO LINDEN CITY $5,374 YES AUBURN CITY $5,328 NO ANNISTON CITY...
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Did Channel One Advertise Pagers To Children?
On Channel One’s web site several recent notes on the message board have been critical of Channel One. These appear to be from students in schools that make Channel One mandatory viewing. Two of the writers talk about ads or promotions on Channel One that featured pagers, or beepers, that kids could either buy or win. In the Birmingham,...
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Editorial – The Birmingham News- “Channel One – There are better uses of student time, taxpayer dollars”
Alabama’s largest newspaper condemned the in-school, advertising device called Channel One News. In a no-holds-barred editorial, the News blasted the poor business deal Channel One contracts represent. Also the age-inappropriate content was mentioned. The News said the Channel One web site “provided links on its website to pornographic material.” The News may be referring to some other incident(s), but Obligation has...
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State Superintendent Urged To Halt Channel One TV Show for 37 Systems
37 Alabama school systems that are on academic "alert" or "caution" status are also losing one hour a week of school time to the controversial TV show called Channel One according to a recently released Alabama Department of Education study. Obligation, a Birmingham-based child advocacy organization, has called on Dr. Ed Richardson to instruct...
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Jefferson County Schools Again Make Mandatory Commercials Part of Curriculum – Local Group Criticizes “Sell-Out” Of Students – Controversial Channel One Remains Required Viewing For Jeffco Secondary Students
Over 23,000 Jefferson County system secondary schoolchildren will return to school on Tuesday, August 11, and for yet another year be required to watch the controversial Channel One in-school TV show for up to one hour a week. Channel One is the daily 12-minute news show that contains commercials. Schools get the use of...
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State of Alabama Completes First Ever Statewide Channel One Survey
It has taken months to achieve, but now all Alabama public school systems have responded to the State Superintendent’s request for information concerning Channel One. This information will be published on this web site as soon as it is received by Obligation. As many concerned parents and school officials have found out, Channel One will never tell the public what...
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Channel One Suspends Reviewing R-Rated Movies For Children
For nearly two years Channel One has reviewed R-rated movies for children visitors to its official web site. many of these movies contained graphic sexual content, ultra-violence, and non-stop profanity. Channel One officials also gave children a link to the movie’s official web site which often contained material not suitable for children. Channel One routinely asked children to send in...
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A Partial Listing of R-Rated Movies Channel One Reviewed At Its Children Web Site – www.channelone.com
I Know What You Did Last Summer, Kiss The Girls, Def Jam’s How To Be A Player, Goodfellas, LA Confidential, The Game, Nothing To Lose, Con Air, Face/Off, Soul Food, The Peacemaker, Wild Things, Air Force One, Jackie Brown, Scream 2, Mimic, Switchback, Starship Troopers, The Edge, Pulp Fiction
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Local Group Files FTC Complaint Against Channel One – Personal Information Sought From Children Without Parental Knowledge, Other Problems
June 11, 1998 (Birmingham, AL) Obligation, Inc., a local child advocacy organization, filed a complaint today against the Channel One Network with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They are owned by PRIMEDIA, Inc. (formerly K-III Communications), which is majority-owned by Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts. Obligation alleges that Channel One’s web site: · solicits personal information from children without parental approval, ...
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Channel One Web Advertiser Has Links to Pornography
A child needs merely to click on "The Mining Company" ad banner on Channel One’s site and he or she is in a site that has links to pornographic pictures. Children are given warnings about the sexual content they will see if they keep clicking, but this site should not be connected to a...
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Satellite Problem To Cost Channel One Up To $5 Million
Channel One’s parent company, PRIMEDIA, issued a press release on May 26 preparing investors for lower earnings in their second quarter. It could be up to a $5 million loss caused by the malfunction aboard the Galaxy IV satellite. This summer every dish on every school will have to be readjusted to a new...
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Channel One Goes Dark – Students Freed From Mandatory Broadcast
It’s been a fairly bad year for Channel One: growing condemnation of its brash, in-your-face style of marketing to children, a major study showing Channel One is a monumental financial rip-off, a U.S. Senator calling for hearings on Channel One’s waste of school time, and now a freak satellite problem pulls the plug on...
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Obligation Contributes Article to National School Boards Association’s “School Board News” Newspaper
The most controversial show on television is not “Jerry Springer”. It’s called Channel One and...
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Channel One Web Site for Kids Offers Quick Link To Adult XXX Videos
Channel One has made another mistake. Channel One’s in-school TV show for schoolchildren daily advertises their official web site (www.channelone.com). On this site, children are bombarded with even more advertisements. Commercial advertisements are not suppose to be on a children’s educational site, but Channel One’s site, like its TV show, is mainly an advertisement...
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U.S. Senator Richard Shelby Blasts Channel One and Calls for Senate Hearings On This Controversial TV Show
Richard Shelby (R-AL) sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to each U.S. senator asking for new hearings on Channel One and other commercial programs in public schools. "Parents entrust their children to the care and supervision of the local school system. Establishing this trust is not done blindly. While parents likely know and interact with...
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PRIMEDIA, the parent company of Channel One, announced record first quarter sales from continuing businesses of $328.5 million and record earnings of $63.1 (EBITDA)
“The Education segment’s record first quarter sales and EBITDA from continuing businesses largely reflect continued advertising strength at Channel One…,” said William Reilly, chairman and chief executive officer of PRIMEDIA. Channel One continues to convert taxpayer money to their private profit. Jim Metrock, Obligation president said, “Our students aren’t benefiting, our schools aren’t benefiting, and taxpayers aren’t benefiting, but Channel One is...
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School Systems Urged To Temporarily Halt Channel One Because of Child Predator Dangers – State Superintendent And Attorney General Help Sought
March 11, 1998 (Birmingham, AL) FBI Director Louis Freeh testified before a Senate hearing yesterday that child predators are a growing problem on children’s web sites and chat rooms. A local child advocacy group says that Alabama children are being needlessly exposed to Internet dangers by the controversial in-school TV show, Channel One. Obligation...
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