DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
Where Is Mister Rogers When We Need Him in Washington Again?
February 12, 2018  | By David Bianculli  | 7 comments
 

Next Monday, Feb. 12, is the golden anniversary of the premiere of the landmark public television children’s series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhoood. But today, a week earlier, President Donald Trump has announced his budget plans to eliminate PBS from the federal budget.

The two events are not unrelated. It was almost 50 years ago that Washington debated taking funding from public broadcasting for the first time — and the champion who saved the day then was Fred Rogers, host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

It’s really not much of a surprise that President Trump has followed through on last year’s threats to eliminate all funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts, as well as all federal funding for PBS. What’s a bigger surprise is that Washington keeps trying this from time to time, despite the laughably miniscule amounts it would save, and how vastly those same amounts can help keep public media alive and vital.

Today, the most visible champion to use as Exhibit A against such shortsighted policies would be longtime PBS documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. For decades, it was Sesame Street feathery figurehead Big Bird.

But in 1969, when national public TV was in its infancy, the champion was a then-new children’s TV host name Fred Rogers, whose program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, had premiered only the year before. The Senate was threatening to cut $20 million in funding for public TV when what would become PBS was just getting started, and Rogers flew to Washington to testify before John Pastore and his Senate Subcommittee on Communications, arguing why public TV needs and deserves federal support.

Pastore was a gruff senator who had led an earlier investigation into violence on TV, and almost single-handedly put an end to ABC’s The Untouchables. But against the soft-spoken Fred Rogers, the senator more than met his match, and public TV got its funding.

Watch this live TV clip from 1969, and wish, along with me, that today’s television hosts and elected officials could talk as honestly, and listen as intently:

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
SLFLI
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: 
7 Comments
 
 
Excellent article. The writing style which you have used in this article is very good and it made the article of better quality.
Sep 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Awesome blog. I have read and thought about what you said. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles. Keep up the good work!
Sep 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Immerse yourself in the world of virtual motorsport, where you'll take the reins of powerful racing machines, navigate treacherous obstacles, and compete head-on with skilled rivals in a quest for dominance.
Aug 17, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
jaeseu
While surfing the web, this blog has been led.
There are many very fresh posts. Enough to get my attention. I'll come to check often.

?? ??
??? ??? ??
?? ?? ???
??? ?? ???
??? ?? ?? ?
https://www.j9korea.com
Feb 6, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I would like to thank you for the great work you are doing. I have read your post thoroughly and the post is very much amazing. It provides very useful knowledge and information. I really loved the idea. Keep sharing such type of information as it is very useful for me. good job. keep it up.
Jan 27, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
pembuatan bendera, cetak bendera, buat bendera, sablon bendera, bikin bendera, print bendera, vendor bendera, jasa pembuatan bendera, tempat bikin bendera, bendera custom.
Apr 28, 2022   |  Reply
 
 
Mac
Thanks,David. You have long championed Fred. Tom Hanks,America's Dad, is slated to portray Fred in a long-overdue bio pic. After his role as Walt Disney,Hanks will only need to play Jim Henson for a trifecta of important grown ups in children's entertainment. But if the story could be played on a smaller scale,I'd select Tom Amandes,who co-starred in Everwood and played a shrink in Parenthood. The resemblance & demeanor is so obvious,I think even Hanks would agree. Some have suggested Michael Keaton,too,as he actually worked on the show,and since Michael has bounced back into the spotlight,he certainly has the acting chops to portray Fred. In any event,more discussion about this icon is needed more than ever.
I had a friend who had an office job and watched Fred many times because an entire day went by with no contact with someone who cared about him. Fred would always look right at the camera and remind him of his uniqueness. Worked for this guy.
Feb 17, 2018   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: