Inside PBS Blog

I'm very, very glad that at least the local stations have the option of continuing to run Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. It would be quite a sad day if this show were cancelled altogether.

Even though it isn't being dropped entirely, PBS is relegating it to an inferior status, and their 'new way' of offering it daily to the local stations who *choose* to keep it, is more difficult, and will leave Mr Rogers off of some, or many stations- maybe even most. Sorry, but the good news is not that good. I will not even think of giving one penny to PBS, or support it in any way, until Mister Roger's Neighborhood is back on all stations, daily, where it suppose to be. No matter what the new program will be, I don't think it will equal what Mister Rogers have given kids, and parents since 1968.
I also hope they, if they haven't already done so, will release all of the seasons in good quality DVD sets & casings (hopefully with extras). This would be great, but still not come even close to take the place of having it on TV for all to watch and benefit from.

Don't believe the PBS PR spin. PBS' decision to remove Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from its weekday affiliate feed and relegate it to one weekend airing is de facto cancellation of the show. Many PBS stations don't have the financial, staffing or technical resources to accommodate PBS' one-time-only batch-transmission of an entire season of the show at once; many others will use this withdrawal of national support as an opportunity to replace the show. One paltry airing on the weekends, when most kids aren't even watching, is hardly sufficient for a show that not only built and sustained PBS for 40-plus years, but helped (and continues to help) generations of children grow up to be happier, smarter, more emotionally and socially capable people.

There is nothing on television like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Its primary themes are kindness, tolerance, acceptance. It's not there to sell products or create brand identity among young consumers. It provides kids with a safe space and a gentle and understanding presence when there is so often not one in their day to day lives.

I believe this decision is about marketing--PBS and its "partners" make a tremendous amount of money off the staggering amount of merchandise sold from Teletubbies, Thomas the Tank Engine and Elmo and its many other "properties", while Rogers was always vigorously opposed to exploiting kids for financial gain. His goal was to provide vital social and emotional education to kids, to give them a calm, nurturing, understanding adult figure and a safe space from the very forces of exploitation and manipulation that is now so common in children's programming on PBS and elsewhere. One suspects the PBS Kids programming that replaces Mister Rogers on the national feed will have a healthy merchandising component.

Saying "viewership was down" once again betrays the nature of this decision. PBS was never conceived or intended as a for-profit venture, and its mission is to provide quality educational and public-service programming regardless of ratings. Pushing Mister Rogers' content onto the web or digital channels is not an alternative for millions of children who don't have access to those services--in other words, those geographically or educationally isolated, working poor or poverty-stricken families PBS was originally designed to serve.

I appreciate the difficult realities of today's media, but Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is at the core of PBS' mission. Fred Rogers was instrumental in the creation and survival of PBS (witness his heroic 1969 testimony before Rep. Pastore), and he deserves better. I've written to PBS expressing these concerns, but I've also taken it one step further: I've contacted my Senators and Representatives, the ones who vote on PBS and CPB appropriations, and I've let them know I won't support any CPB funding without a firm commitment from PBS to airing Mister Rogers' Neighborhood five days a week. His show is a force for good that our kids need now more than ever. Contact your elected officials and let them know.

Cait Dee is entirely, and eloquently, right. For Fred Rogers to be shunted to the sidelines by PBS when he singlehandedly lobbied Congress for continuing to fund its very existence in 1969 is unconscionable. I imagine that many of the people making this decision wouldn't even >have< jobs today if it wasn't for Fred Rogers.

My local affiliate (Chicago's WTTW, in what must be the third or even second largest broadcast "market" in the nation) repeats at least one of its kid's programs twice a day, yet is summarily killing off Mr. Rogers with no alternative time slot or broadcast space whatsoever in just a few days. What's most disturbing is the smiling "spin" with which PBS is encouraging them to do it; how can PBS claim to support a show that it is paring down and chopping up from its very specific and carefully planned five-times a week story format?

My three year old loves Mister Rogers. He is not in any way irrelevant to her, he is not outdated. He is as gentle, as real and as deserving of trust as a "television neighbor" could ever hope to be.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood is a quiet, awkward, human, honest alternative to the candy-colored slick effusion which PBS is producing to replace it, and without Fred Rogers, the once genuinely unique alternative which PBS offered to commercially-driven television will have completely vanished. I certainly won't be one of the people offering my support to any of public broadcasting when the fall pledge drives start up again.

No, only Fred Rogers could lobby me to do that.

Balogna!!!Baloney!!! Lauren got back to me regarding my outrage with your decision to stop airing Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood DAILY. The problem EVERYONE has is that it will now be WEEKLY!!!!!! That's not acceptable! Re-think this...please....Mr. Rogers is "food" for my grandchildren.........and they eat DAILY not WEEKLY!! Thank You ........Patty Peters White Haven , Pa.

There are so few good quality shows on television for children that I think it would be a shame to take Mr. Roberts off. He instills truth and calmness in our today lives. I think the children still need him very much

we don't need more games on the website! if PBS truly does support Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, it will be available throughout the week.

The feed package should always include Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. To change the delivery method is a mistake.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood is as American as Apple Pie and Motherhood. During the 80's and 90's there were many shows that were directed at the pre-schooler and kindergartner, but I believe Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street were by far the most educational presentations that taught our children how to be good people, and 'do the right thing.'

I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Ware when he wrote "For Fred Rogers to be shunted to the sidelines by PBS when he singlehandedly lobbied Congress for continuing to fund its very existence in 1969 is unconscionable. I imagine that many of the people making this decision wouldn't even have jobs today if it wasn't for Fred Rogers."

If you view the video of his testimony before Congress, you would agree too.

Please keep Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood in the daily feed. America needs him.

Yankee Doodle!

What insanity and rank stupidity is this?! How in the world can PBS even think of relegating Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to what amounts to television Siberia? It's hard, if not impossible, to top Cait Dee's posting here, but I feel like I have to say something about this utterly asinine decision. Mr Roger's Neighborhood fills a need in children's programming which will now be utterly lacking. It's slow. It's deliberate. It respects children. It's thoughtful. It's careful. What do we get in replacement? More noisy, "short attention span theater" programs for children which are used more for marketing and selling garbage in WalMart than for real learning. Even Sesame Street has been dumbed down in recent years (hard to believe, but it has). Furthermore, how can you possibly move this to one or two weekend showings?! The very structure of the show dictates that it is meant to be shown five days a week! Visits to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe will lose all context with a week's gap between episode plot lines.

PBS may be attempting to make themselves feel better about this by saying, "Hey! It's still on! Early in the morning on a Saturday! Now shut the heck up and be happy you're getting that!" But, no, this attempt at a warm and fuzzy resolution to this falls completely flat. PBS is just going to bury it until its ratings COMPLETELY flatline, at which time they can point to said ratings as reason for final cancellation. PBS is, in fact, killing Mr Rogers. Thanks. Me, I'm killing any future contributions to PBS. It seems somehow fitting.

Our family was stunned today to find that Mr. Rodgers was no longer available on either of our two PBS stations. Our daughter is severely disabled and Mr. Rodgers is one of her favorite shows. We hope he comes back soon.

PLEASE CONTINUE MR ROGERS NEIBORHOOD!
PBS -WTTW Chicago. CHILDREN and grown ups NEED THIS SPECIAL PROGRAM.
When is it shown?
THANKS for sending the times.
S. Sarah

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is a national treasure. In today's society filled with war, drugs, over half of [marriages] ending in divorce, and absent parents working three jobs just to make ends meet, kids need the kind words and soothing voice of Fred Rogers more than ever.

Mister Rogers is the only series we permit our little kids to watch. We watch it together as a family and it is such a quality time for us to share. This isn't a nostalgia thing. It's about the children. It can still be this special nurturing force in children's lives. I feel like it's needed now more than ever. There's nothing else on TV like it.

Even though it isn't being dropped entirely, PBS is relegating it to an inferior status, and the new way of offering it daily to the local stations who choose to keep it, is more difficult, and has left Mr. Rogers off our local PBS station. This is a disaster for our pre-schoolers who don't understand at all.

We will not even think of giving one penny to PBS, or support it in any way, until Mister Roger's Neighborhood is back on all stations daily, where it is supposed to be. No matter what the new programs will be, they will not equal what Mister Rogers have given kids, and parents since 1968.

Releasing all of the seasons in good quality DVD sets & casings would not even come close to taking the place of having it on TV for all to watch and benefit from daily.

I have been watching Mister Rogers with my kids for over a year. They hardly watch any other show other than this one. The TV show started re-running even though Mister Rogers may have produced more episodes. Now it is off the air. Why? It has more of a spiritual meaning than the other TV shows. It's my children's favorite show.

Dear PBS - Without continuing to air Mr Rogers as you have in its full weekly schedule I will end all my future financial support, and encourage others to do so in a long-term way. I have overlooked the shameless way you have been promoting the marketing and product sales machine of programs like Dora, whose classic hypnotic flash and pace of display is no better than any other zero content show on any other network who has shareholders to report to, and now you are making room for programming that will be another marketing machine. What you are doing is pulling a show that cares about kids to make room for shows that care about making money. Shameless. ….and shame on you.

As most viewers of the show would recognize, Sears was a MAJOR financial supporter for many many years. Sears is the type of force that might be able make PBS put the show back to normal scheduling. Call 1-800-549-4505 and ask Sears to pressure PBS in putting Mr Rogers back to normal scheduling.

I e-mailed PBS, stating that I cannot find Mr. Rogers on TV. PBS stated that it was being aired on a cable television station. I do not have cable TV. If someone has to pay for cable TV, then should that person donate money to PBS. Sesame Street stayed on the air because it tried to look similar to many modern shows.Nevertheless, Mr. Rogers has resisted that and he has a great message for parents as well as children. There is no children's show like Mr. Rogers. Originally PBS stated that it would be aired once a week, but it did not state that it would be moved to a cable channel. If it did, then I would have taped all the Mr. Rogers shows that I could.

I think this is a very Sad Day in the Neighborhood when they have removed our Mr Rogers Neighborhood from our screen. To think others " speak " of putting our children's and grandchildren's well being first ... and then they pull this. I can tell you it was one of the saddest days around here when we turned on our sets to only find Mr Rogers removed ... and to be replaced with what ? How sad ... please think of our children ...Please reconsider they need him in their lives ... he has taught them more and been more of a role model than any other you have on the air. Please bring him home back to our neighborhoods where he belongs. We need him more than you know.

Mom Caswell Brownwood, Texas Ch 60 Dish Network

Please let me tell you some cool ideas I have been weaving into my classroom everyday for over 30 years, successfully PLEASE !!! Take care, Anne

Mr Rogers taught me that there are creative ways to express anger so here it goes. PBS, shame on you!! Mr. Rogers is the only show on television that has children walking through the eyes of an adult. A real person, a role model that children can relate to and respect. Puppets that express all the feeling, good and bad that children need to explore and work out when nobody around them can show them how. Nothing on the air today matches the magic of the neighborhood. I guess if Mr Rogers is outdated, then so are the values we all embrace. PBS, if you can't air the shows then at least make the shows available through another media . Supporters of PBS deserve better than this

To say I am disgusted with my local PBS station, KVIE is a grave understatement. I have been begging them for three YEARS to get this show back on the air.

Every email I got was very condescending, rude and sort of a 'pat on the head' and encouraged to watch their new wiz bang shows. Bah.

The station manager went so far as to say I was alone in my quest, and that "Mr. Roger's production values have been kept in the 1980's when we can't compete'" and "Tests show most parents wanted him on for nostalgic reasons, not for their children's needs". I was beyond insulted. I asked for the tests but they said it was more of a casual thing. These people OWE their JOBS to Fred, and slap him in the face along with JoAnn his wife, his sons and every child he touched.

I have emailed them twice a year but they have stopped replying. I'm sure I'm a laughing stock there. I am so glad to know I'm not alone. If there is ANYTHING I can do to get some shows besides the FEW on DVD I'd be grateful. I'm just disgusted by PBS.

Oh and the station manager at PBS said they were going to cut Nova and Masterpiece too. Not that anyone but me seemed to care.

Thanks for posting this.

Megan
Sacramento CA

PS what about children with no internet connection? They are just out of luck I guess. SHAME on you PBS.

The great debate continues. Do my kids run to watch Mister Rogers? No, they don't. The are into shows like dora the explorer, etc. There is a big difference in modern show vs. the older shows. If people put enough pressure on stations, the shows will continue. If people are passive, it will never come back.