In response to a recent decision by PBS to cut Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from its weekday syndication, one of Rogers' biggest fans has started a campaign to save the show.
With a firebrand ferocity matched only by a certain red sweater, one Brian Linder has launched SaveMisterRogers.com to fight PBS's plans to change the once-a-day airing the Mister Rogers has seen for decades into a format that would distribute a single episode per weekend to member stations.
"It's something I feel strongly about," Linder explained in an e-mail. "Not because of my own nostalgic feelings for the program, but because I feel it is still such a special nurturing voice in the lives of children."
The show, which began in 1962 on Canadian television as a 15-minute program called Misterogers, moved to PBS and was re-annointed with its three-word title in the late '60s. Fred Rogers, the cardigan-enswathed namesake and figurehead, gently taught viewers about the world in all its facets—emotional, physical, spiritual—and was not afraid to deal with difficult issues like divorce and death. Rogers also penned Neighborhood's iconic theme, "It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood," which played in episode introductions from 1968 to the show's finale in 2001. Generations of fans mourned his passing two years later, at the age of 74.
Linder extols Neighborhood's centrality to childhood development. “I was a highly-sensitive child,” he writes at SaveMisterRogers.com. “It was Mister Rogers who taught me how to begin to deal with my feelings. I think he taught my parents a lot, too. I know I’m still learning from him.”
Mrs. Rogers (Fred's wife, Joanne) recently blessed Linder's efforts, which include imploring kindred spirits to contact PBS at its headquarters or local affiliates, but no word has come back about plans for a policy shift. For the moment, it seems, the swelling grassroots of Mr. Rogers's neighborhood will continue to call out for just a few more beautiful days.
Related links:
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on PBSKids.org
SaveMisterRogers.com
YouTube: Mr. Rogers Goodbye
Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
"It's something I feel strongly about," Linder explained in an e-mail. "Not because of my own nostalgic feelings for the program, but because I feel it is still such a special nurturing voice in the lives of children."
The show, which began in 1962 on Canadian television as a 15-minute program called Misterogers, moved to PBS and was re-annointed with its three-word title in the late '60s. Fred Rogers, the cardigan-enswathed namesake and figurehead, gently taught viewers about the world in all its facets—emotional, physical, spiritual—and was not afraid to deal with difficult issues like divorce and death. Rogers also penned Neighborhood's iconic theme, "It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood," which played in episode introductions from 1968 to the show's finale in 2001. Generations of fans mourned his passing two years later, at the age of 74.
Linder extols Neighborhood's centrality to childhood development. “I was a highly-sensitive child,” he writes at SaveMisterRogers.com. “It was Mister Rogers who taught me how to begin to deal with my feelings. I think he taught my parents a lot, too. I know I’m still learning from him.”
Mrs. Rogers (Fred's wife, Joanne) recently blessed Linder's efforts, which include imploring kindred spirits to contact PBS at its headquarters or local affiliates, but no word has come back about plans for a policy shift. For the moment, it seems, the swelling grassroots of Mr. Rogers's neighborhood will continue to call out for just a few more beautiful days.
Related links:
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on PBSKids.org
SaveMisterRogers.com
YouTube: Mr. Rogers Goodbye
Got a news tip for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
Email
pbs, ifyou discontinue mr. rogers neighborhood, cnn may as well cancel there news dept.!!!!!
i grew up with mr. rogers. most all in pittsburgh consider him a hero. he spoke and still speaks, through taped shows, more kindness and caring children need.
without toys, marketing, glitz, and showmanship.
he dealt with issues that matter to young children with kindness and love, which i know was heart felt. my children even loved his show when young.
he was a true teacher who cared for children, NO MATTER what child.
Ummm. . . I thought that CNN got rid of their news department years ago (did they ever have one????). It's not news, it's CMM
Save Mr. Rogers
I loved him as a kid!
Becky Krause
would like my kids to know of him also.
Thank you.
As I read this article, I could not help but think of the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q
Essentially, it lends to the feeling that PBS has a lot to owe to Fred Rogers. The video is striking, poignant, and powerful.
But I feel that Fred's message is needed so dearly and urgently by today's generation that the show should be available as it was intended--"an expression of care each day" as Fred says in the above video. Through PBS or otherwise...
Going to check out this web site. Thank you, Paste, for highlighting this for your readers and for the Internet.