PBS Funding Under Threat: Mister Rogers Discusses Value Of Children’s Programming, Public Television

PBS Funding Under Threat: Mister Rogers Discusses Value Of Children’s Programming, Public Television

Editor’s note: Readers may be experiencing deja vu, as this very same funding was being debated last year, and public broadcasting’s funding was reallocated. We also covered the release of the album of Mister Rogers’ original songs. 

Mister Rogers Neighborhood. If you are an adult today, you probably have watched Mister Rogers. In fact, it might have been the most memorable program you ever watched. When he was announced as the unscheduled guest at a talk by Al Gore, great cheers went up in the crowd and he got a standing ovation.

Being the humble, kind person he was, he sang a song with the crowd (the Won’t you be my neighbor?) song. They loved it, and he had an amazing talk with them ahead of Al Gore’s speech.

Why is it important to fund public television? For one thing, kids need something on television that isn’t gunfire and violence. Kindness, compassion, and friendship are essential lessons for childhood. For those of us who grew up on public television, its value is obvious.

Some of the most popular programs from the 70s through the 90s have recently become available on streaming services, including Roku and Amazon Prime. However, the caveat is that viewing them on these platforms is ad supported (so there will be ads, unlike on PBS).

On the public television stations, the selection of programs is very different than it used to be. You can’t see Reading Rainbow or Mister Rogers, but the spinoff with Daniel Tiger, along with Sesame Street, are still part of the regularly scheduled programs.

PBS.org does actually feature episodes of all of these programs, on their website, but not every episode is included. Without PBS, none of this would be available to kids today, and it’s very important for children to have role models they can look to that help them learn to behave and become more fully themselves. It’s also important to show children that they are cared about, and that they are special, unique and valued just the way they are.

Some of the shows that kids can benefit from that can be seen on streaming platforms https://www.pbs.org/parents/where-to-watch-pbs-kids today include:

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Reading Rainbow https://www.readingrainbow.org

Mister Rogers Neighborhood

Sesame Street

Thomas & Friends

In addition to children’s educational programming, PBS also airs shows for adults around the US. They broadcast news shows of a variety of types with a wide range of views.

According to one of the senators in a hearing about public broadcasting (which will be compiled for next week), 80% of Americans believe that PBS and NPR are beneficial and generally approve of them. Over 50% believe they provide unbiased news. He mentions how incredible it is to get that kind of approval, as a Senator that was striking to him.

Among the primary mission of PBS is to provide educational programming for younger children. Their programs have been used in school classrooms, as well as in homes, for decades. Most teachers and parents (as well as those who grew up watching these shows) find them to be both entertaining and educational, which is quite an accomplishment.

In the above video, learn about Mister Rogers’ philosophy on children’s television, along with many of his views on the importance of its success. Hopefully the next generations of children and the adults they become will benefit from public broadcasting for years to come.

Banner Image: Mister Rogers video cover. Image Credit – C-SPAN