Judge Rejects School TV With Ads
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Ruling that students who are forced to watch commercials for toothpaste and potato chips during class are being deprived of school time, an administrative law judge has found that the controversial television news service, Channel One, violates New Jersey’s compulsory-attendance law. The judge, Bruce R. Campbell, found that Channel One, a 12-minute daily news show with two minutes of commercials, violates the state’s constitutional guarantee of a “thorough and efficient” education. His ruling is something of a setback for Whittle Communications, the Knoxville, Tenn., company that began the Channel One project in March 1990. Channel One contracts bind school districts to show Whittle’s program to all students in exchange for free television sets and other video equipment. Channel One is now seen in 45 states. ‘Inappropriate Fare’ In making his ruling, which was issued on Tuesday, Judge Campbell said that the commercials are “inappropriate fare in homeroom or any other school day period.” The judge’s ruling is advisory and does not necessarily mean that Channel One will be dropped by Trenton or any of the other 115 districts in the state that have signed contracts to carry it. The State Commissioner of Education, John Ellis, has 45 days to adopt, alter or reject the ruling. More : query.nytimes.com |