Update:I watched a tape of some of Channel One's programming last night...it's really very good...

The blog Commercial Alert reprinted an article from Advertising Age about Channel One's woes -- mainly declining ad revenue and aging equipment. Ypulse recently reported the appointment of former PBS honcho Judy L. Harris as the new chief executive.

As a disclaimer, I work with people who used to work at Channel One at INdTV, and I haven't actually watched the programming. That said, I know the producers I work with are pretty talented, and I'm sure that the programming Channel One does is probably high quality and engaging. I believe that television can be a teaching tool in school just as the Web, video games and other popular media should be. Anything that engages teens around learning is great.

It's the Channel One business model that has always made me uncomfortable. I believe schools should be a commercial-free zone -- a respite from all of the advertising and marketing noise teens are bombarded with all the time.

So why just hire a PBS executve...when you can adopt the PBS model? Transform Channel One into a non-profit -- raise money to fund the programming and get rid of the ads. A lot of the same companies that were advertisers also have foundations...Maybe even try an NPR model -- if the ads are gone, you could probably convince parents that it's just a great teaching tool that's valuable enough to fundraise for. Channel One shouldn't just go away, but the ads probably should.

Posted by anastasia