Public broadcasting has been part of our lives for a LONG time. Here's Alice at about 1 year old, with her mom, Annie Lin, and Mr. Rogers. Public Broadcasting is probably as much a part of your family as it and Mr. Rogers are a part of ours.
Why does Public Broadcasting deserve the small investment of support it receives? Simple. It changes lives. How's that for "ROI?" Public Broadcasting has faced relentless attempts to eliminate it. Why is that? Why would Public Broadcasting so frequently be on the chopping block? More importantly, why have these attacks historically failed?
Mr. Rogers himself defended Public Broadcasting decades ago. His comments ring true today.
It was 1969 when Fred Rogers from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications to express his disagreement with a proposal by President Richard Nixon to cut federal funding for public broadcasting. Rogers detailed the guiding influence of television, and helped sway the Senate’s decision to leave funding for public broadcasting intact.
