Controversial Channel One

Your editorial about Channel One missed the mark on why students shouldn’t be subjected to advertising in the classroom.

As you know, Whittle Communications is attempting to secure contracts with school districts to run a daily, 12-minute news program to be shown during instructional classroom time. Whittle loans the district video equipment, much of which is usable to broadcast only Whittle programs. The catch is that the program includes two minutes of advertising each student must view virtually every day, or the school will risk losing the Whittle Communications equipment. Plus, the district has no control over the contents of those ads.

Will this be a taxpayer-subsidized monopoly? Who’s to say it will stop there?

We know this is not an ideal time for education and resources are short in many districts, but are we willing to sell our children’s instructional time to receive limited use of some video equipment?

Two minutes of compulsory commercials a day may seem trivial unless you recall the tremendous battle we fought in 1983 to add time to the instructional day and year. If Channel One gains approval in this state, we would be selling one day back.

Our concern is the well-being and quality of education our children receive. We should not be selling their educational time to aggressive marketeers.

MARY STANDLEE, President

California School Boards Assn.

West Sacramento