WQED Pittsburgh: Media-Only Press Room

Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor

‘FRED ROGERS: AMERICA'S FAVORITE NEIGHBOR’ NOMINATED
FOR TWO 2003-2004 PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS

PITTSBURGH, PA – “Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor, a documentary about Fred Rogers' life and work, received two nominations for this year's Annual Primetime Emmy Awards -- for “Outstanding nonfiction program” and “Outstanding writing for nonfiction programming.” Nominations were announced on July 15 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Produced jointly by WQED Multimedia Pittsburgh and Family Communications,Inc. (the nonprofit company founded by Fred Rogers in 1971), this documentary premiered on PBS January 1, 2004, and is currently running on PBS stations across the country. The program offers an intimate portrait of Fred Rogers, full of treasured memories, rare vintage clips, and behind-the-scenes details about the life and work of Fred Rogers.

Over the years, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Fred Rogers have received 61 Emmy nominations and were awarded four Emmys, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award for Fred Rogers in 1997.

Partnering in the collaborative production of "Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor" were: Margaret A. Whitmer and Joseph J. Kennedy, IV, (Producers), Jocelyn Hough (Executive Producer), William H. Isler and Robert Petrilli (Co-Executive Producers), Rick Sebak (Writer/Producer) and Michael Keaton (Host).

The nationally acclaimed program was generously underwritten by lead sponsor PNC Financial Services, Eat'n Park Family Restaurants, and the Heinz Endowments.

This year's Emmy awards presentation, hosted by Garry Shandling, will be televised on ABC Sunday, September 19, from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium.

“Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor” is available on DVD and 2-volume VHS set. Both contain the 1 hour program and 2 hours of bonus material. To order, visit “Shop WQED” at www.wqed.org , call 1-800-274-1307 or log onto the Family Communications, Inc. website at www.fci.org/shopping.

Proceeds benefit the Fred Rogers' Fund at Family Communications and children's programming on WQED.

Family Communications, Inc. is a nonprofit company dedicated to children, their families, and those who support them. Through the production of materials in all media, we encourage open and honest communication. Respect for healthy emotional, social, and intellectual development is at the core of all that we do.

Family Communications Inc Fax: 412-687-1226
4802 Fifth Avenue Web: www.fci.org (adults)
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2957 Web: www.pbs.org/rogers (children)