Cerritos : ABC District Approves Controversial TV Program

Despite the objections of state officials, the ABC Unified School District board has voted to allow a controversial, satellite-delivered television show called Channel One that broadcasts commercials in the classroom.

By a 4-3 vote Tuesday, the board approved the program produced by Whittle Communications of Knoxville, Tenn., for the district schools.

The 12-minute teen-oriented program was aired on an experimental basis in March, 1989, at Gahr High School in Cerritos and at five other high schools throughout the United States. The broadcast included two minutes of commercials on products young people buy, which Bill Honig, state superintendent of public instruction, opposed.

Only one other school in the state, Overfelt High School in San Jose, is using the program, said William L. Rukeyeser, a special assistant to Honig. Rukeyeser said schools using the program could lose a portion of their state funding over the use of the commercials. “It is not educationally or ethically sound,” Rukeyeser said.

ABC Supt. Larry Lucas said the three-year contract signed with Whittle allows the school district to drop the agreement if it is in violation of any state regulations.