This study examined perceptions of college of education students and their experiences with Channel One, a privately-owned news service used in public education. Given that about one-third of middle and high schoolers in the US view the broadcast every school day, the authors surveyed 172 freshmen to discern their views and attitudes toward…

Places Channel One controversy in broader context of commercialization of youth culture during past 20 years. Changes in child-oriented TV market since mid-1970s include rise of independent stations and cable networks, introduction of program-length commercials, and proliferation of new products aimed at children. Targeting marketing to child…

Classic propaganda techniques (repetition, testimonials, transfers of one quality to another, and painstaking imagery) work best in "closed" environments--exactly the situation advertisers have in Channel-One classrooms. Private, vulnerable, and sacred, the human psyche is not a commodity to be sold. Yet, such commerce will continue…

Describes the psychological importance of toys to children. Analyzes adult attitudes toward toys and explores the toy marketing techniques used on television commercials. Concludes by listing 6 ways in which toys may be used as a part of a social studies program. (JDH)

All arguments about the 10 minutes of Channel One programming are side issues, including concerns about the bias or superficiality of new coverage, "infotainment" methods, and learning effectiveness. The main issue is the presence of television advertising (commercial persuasion)--aimed at a captive audience of schoolchildren and…

This report describes exclusive contractual agreements between businesses and public education agencies. It cites such examples as contracts between school districts and soft drink manufacturers, terming them "schoolhouse commercialism." It also provides data that explain why schools are so attractive to advertisers, and the reasons why…

Television and television commercials are an important part of the environment that shapes today's students, and unless teachers recognize this, they will be attempting to teach space-age children using horse and buggy methods. (Author/JG)

Suggests that teachers can use reluctant readers' sensitivity to and sophistication with "musicomedy" to both assess and develop reading comprehension. Discusses several class activities using the musical and humorous expressions in television commercials for fulfilling this objective. (RS)

Teenagers are the target audience for Whittle Communication's "Channel One" news show and its commercials. Critics are calling the trade of equipment for commercials a "Trojan horse." Advice, culled from several sources, is offered to boards of education regarding the issue of whether commercial television belongs in schools.…

The topic of this hearing was the Children's Television Act of 1990. This act was designed to increase the choices for children and to give parents and families the possibility of finding educational programming to supplement other children's programs. The Act has two major provisions. First, it established time limits on the amount of advertising…

As competition for the lucrative youth market heightens, corporate efforts to sell their name, product, service, or message in the classroom are intensifying. Marketing methods range from curriculum packets and teaching kits to wall posters, single-sponsor magazines, and product samples. This article describes administrators' responses during hard…

Describes the use of television commercials to teach classical music. Points out that a large number of commercials use classical selections which can serve as a starting point for introducing students to this form. Urges music educators to broaden their views and use these truncated selections to transmit our cultural heritage. (KO)

In the probusiness 1980s, marketing and public-relations schemes were characterized as legitimate contributions to the curriculum, helpful teaching aids, or effective school-business cooperation models. By the late 1980s, commercialism in schools had become so rampant that Channel One was regarded as a school-reform proposal. Today, profit-making…

Advertisers spend billions to market so-called educational products, services, and viewpoints to vulnerable young consumers. Budget constraints are forcing educators to accept ads and promotional materials. Several education and consumer-interest groups are developing guidelines for using commercial materials in schools. Consumers Union developed…

The author argues that teachers and schools which seek to develop rational and thoughtful citizens are locked in a power struggle with television and its sponsors, who have a direct stake in creating a manipulable, consuming mentality in the American people. (Author/SJL)