NEWS RELEASE
For More Information Contact: Robert Weissman (202) 387-8030
For Immediate Release: April 23rd, 2007
Commercial Alert Comment on Alloy Inc.'s Acquisition of Channel One
Following is the statement of Robert Weissman, managing director of Commercial Alert, regarding Alloy Inc.’s Acquisition of Channel One from Primedia, Inc.:
Channel One was built on a reprehensible business model: force-feed advertisements to kids held captive. The idea was to hijack the classroom to show children commercials wrapped around fluff programming.
The business model was deplorable, but it was also a failure. Parents, educators and students objected to Channel One, and advertisers ultimately faded away. In December, it appeared Channel One was going out of business.
Today, Alloy, Inc has announced it will buy the failing operation from Primedia, Inc.
That’s a bad business decision. Channel One will not be revitalized, because communities will not stand for it.
Alloy claims it will not show ads from junk food purveyors and other corporate predators, but those were the advertisers most interested in reaching children. Now that even they have turned away from Channel One, Alloy is kidding itself that it will be able to find “responsible” advertisers to fill the gap.
But to be clear: Even if Alloy were able to make the business viable without showing ads for soda pop and candy, Channel One would still be unacceptable. Simply put, schools should be for education, not mandatory viewing of commercial promotions.