Letter: News for schools

Sir: Andrew Gumbel's article on commercialism in California schools left me perplexed over several points ("California outlaws the Pepsi-sponsored schoolday", 6 September).

Channel One is not a technology provider. We provide 12,000 schools around the country with a daily 12-minute news show that is produced specifically for middle and high school students.

Our broadcast has won nearly 200 awards for journalistic excellence and is considered a valuable teaching tool by educators around the country. Teachers are our biggest fans, with 98 per cent saying they would recommend that others use the Channel One broadcast in their classroom.

As far as the notion that Channel One has wasted taxpayers' money is concerned, the study referred to in the article has been widely refuted.

The highly regarded Citizens Against Government Waste has lauded the Channel One Network as the ideal public/private partnership and claims we have provided billions in service.

SUSAN TICK

Channel One Network

Los Angeles, USA