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H. James Ritts III

H. James Ritts (MSJ77) is a member of the inaugural class of the Medill Hall of Achievement of 1997.

Ritts was president and chief executive officer of Primedia Television, which consists of Channel One Network, Hacienda Productions, Primedia Digital Video, Primedia Productions, and Films for the Humanities & Sciences. The companies are divisions of Primedia Inc., where Ritts served as a corporate officer.

Ritts is a co-founder of Channel One Network, which at its peak was the largest source of news and information for teenagers in the United States. The award-winning 12-minute news broadcast was seen by more than six million students in approximately 8,000 middle schools across the country. Channel One garnered more than 200 news and educational programming honors, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. Channel One Network was also the parent company for Hacienda Productions, which develops and produces primetime programming for teens and young adults.