Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor
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Series Title: American Classics

Program Title: Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor

National Release Date: January 1, 2004

Rights Period: 8 Releases/ 25 months from January 1, 2004 thru January 31, 2006.

Description of the Program:
Fred Rogers was truly an extraordinary man. He made more than 900 television programs designed to help children understand our often-baffling world. He was everybody's neighbor and his simple wisdom delighted and inspired people of all ages.

Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor, is a documentary on the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, who passed away February 27, 2003 after a remarkable 50-year career in television.

Actor Michael Keaton, a former crew member on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, hosts the documentary. The program follows Fred’s life from his early years in the small town of Latrobe PA, to his early days in television as a stagehand at NBC in New York, and then to the city of Pittsburgh where Fred helped start the first community owned television station WQED-TV.

Fred began producing his first children’s television program The Children’s Corner at WQED. With this program, Fred developed the ideas of using song and puppets to talk to children through the mass media. Rogers would soon incorporate these same ideas into another program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that would later become the longest running program on PBS.

Much of the material in Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor is told directly through Fred’s simple yet powerful words in taped interview segments. In the program Rogers explains how he came to work in children’s television and what he thought about as he looked into the camera lens during the tapings of the Neighborhood. We also learn the reason why Mister Rogers came to wear sneakers on the studio set and how the Neighborhood of Make Believe came to be.

The documentary emphasizes the importance of music in Fred’s life and how it is carried over into his programs. Aside from being a children’s program host, Rogers was a father, an ordained minister, puppeteer, scriptwriter, lyricist and composer. For every taping of the Neighborhood he would perform the opening song It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood... and close by singing It’s Such A Good Feeling.

The program includes clips from Rogers’ appearances on the Arsenio Hall Show and Sesame Street, Eddie Murphy’s notorious spoof on Saturday Night Live, various award ceremonies and remembrances from colleagues and friends. Other moments remembered are Rogers’ impassioned 1969 appearance before the U.S. Senate where he helped PBS to obtain a 20 million dollar grant and his 2002 visit to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom – America’s highest civilian honor.

Click here for Press Release and Press Photo
Click here for a biography of Fred Rogers
Click here to download Facts about Mister Rogers and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Click here to download more information About Family Communications Inc.

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Fred McFeely Rogers was born in 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. Rogers earned his bachelor's degree in music composition at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida in 1951. Immediately upon graduation, he was hired by NBC television in New York as an assistant producer for The Voice of Firestone and later as floor director for The Lucky Strike Hit Parade, The Kate Smith Hour, and the NBC Opera Theatre. Rogers was married in 1952 to Joanne Byrd, a concert pianist and fellow Rollins graduate.

In November, 1953, at the request of WQED Pittsburgh, the nation's first community-sponsored educational television station, Rogers moved back to Pennsylvania. The station was not yet on the air, and Rogers was asked to develop the first program schedule. One of the first programs he produced was THE CHILDREN'S CORNER. It was a daily, live, hour-long visit with music and puppets and host Josie Carey. Rogers served as puppeteer, composer, and organist. In 1955, THE CHILDREN'S CORNER won the Sylvania Award for the best locally produced children's program in the country. It was on THE CHILDREN'S CORNER that several regulars of today's MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD made their first appearances -- among them, Daniel Striped Tiger. X the Owl, King Friday XIII, Henrietta Pussycat, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde.

During off-duty hours, Rogers attended both the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. He graduated from the Seminary and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963 with a charge to continue his work with children and families through the mass media. Later that year, Rogers was invited to create a program for the CBC in Canada, which the head of children's programming there dubbed MISTEROGERS. It was on this series that Rogers made his on-camera debut as the program's host. When he and his wife and two sons returned to Pittsburgh in 1966, he incorporated segments of the CBC into a new series which was distributed by the Eastern Educational Network. This series was called MISTEROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD. In 1968 it was made available for national distribution through the National Educational Television (NET) which later became Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

In 1968, Rogers was appointed Chairman of the Forum on Mass Media and Child Development of the White House Conference on Youth. Besides two George Foster Peabody Awards, Emmys, "Lifetime Achievement" Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the TV Critics Association, Fred Rogers received every major award in television for which he was eligible and many others from special-interest groups in education, communications, and early childhood. In 1999, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. His life and work have been the subject of feature articles in national publications, including LIFE, Reader's Digest, Parents, Esquire, Parade, and TV Guide. In 2002, President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, recognizing his contribution to the well-being of children and a career in public television that demonstrates the importance of kindness, compassion and learning. On January 1, 2003, in his last public appearances, Fred Rogers served as a Grand Marshal of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, and tossed the coin for the Rose Bowl Game.

Fred Rogers was the composer and lyricist of over 200 songs, the author of numerous books for children, including the First Experience series and the Let’s Talk About It series, and the author of many books for adults, including the Mister Rogers Playtime Book, You Are Special, The Giving Box, Mister Rogers Talks with Parents, and Dear Mister Rogers: Does It Ever Rain In Your Neighborhood?. His most recent book, The Mister Rogers Parenting Book, was praised by Publishers Weekly for the “qualities of warmth and attentiveness that translate very well into this brief yet thorough parenting guide.”

Fred Rogers received more than 40 honorary degrees from colleges and universities, including Yale University, Hobart and William Smith, Carnegie Mellon University, Boston University, Saint Vincent College, University of Pittsburgh, North Carolina State University, University of Connecticut, Dartmouth College, Waynesburg College, and his alma mater, Rollins College.

Rogers was chairman of Family Communications, Inc. the nonprofit company that he formed in 1971 to produce MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD and that has since diversified into non-broadcast materials that reflect the same philosophy and purpose: to encourage the healthy emotional growth of children and their families. Almost 900 episodes of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD comprise an evergreen library which is offered each year to PBS stations. MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD is the longest-running program on public television.

Fred Rogers died on February 27, 2003 at his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife Joanne Rogers, their two sons and three grandsons.

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· Longest-Running Program on PBS: Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is the longest-running program on PBS. Its first nation-wide broadcast was on February 19, 1968.
· Number of episodes: Including some early black-and-white versions, almost 900 episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood have been produced.
· “Speedy Delivery” man Mr. McFeely: Fred Brooks McFeely was Fred Rogers’ beloved maternal grandfather. In fact, Fred Rogers’ full name was Fred McFeely Rogers. Grandfather McFeely was an important influence on his grandson’s life and once said to him, “Freddy, I like you just the way you are!,” a phrase that Fred Rogers offered many times since. Mr. McFeely is played on the series by David Newell.
· Fred Rogers’ birthplace: Fred Rogers was born and raised in Latrobe, PA, an industrial town about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. (Arnold Palmer shares the same hometown!)
· Undergraduate Degree: Fred Rogers graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition.
· Fred Rogers’ first television job: In 1951, he was an assistant producer at NBC in New York City.
· Fred Rogers’ first children’s television program: “The Children’s Corner,” the precursor of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was broadcast on WQED in Pittsburgh from 1954 to 1961. Fred Rogers co-produced this half-hour program with its host, Josie Carey. He also manipulated the puppets and played the music.
· Honorary Degrees: Over 40 colleges and universities have awarded Fred Rogers honorary degrees including Yale University, University of South Carolina, Boston University, The University of Connecticut, University of Pittsburgh, North Carolina State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College and his alma mater, Rollins College.
· Film star Michael Keaton, a native Pittsburgher, operated the Trolley when he was on the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood studio crew during the 1970’s.
· Famous takeoffs of Mister Rogers: Johnny Carson, Robin Williams, Harvey Korman, cast members from SCTV, and even the NBA basketball star David Robinson join Eddie Murphy in the list of those who have spoofed Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and its host.
· Composer and Lyricists: Fred Rogers composed all of the music on the program and sings many of the familiar tunes daily.
· Scriptwriter & Puppeteer: Fred Rogers wrote all of the scripts for the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood series. He also did the voices and manipulating for almost all of the puppets from the commanding King Friday to the shy Daniel Tiger and feisty Lady Elaine!
· Producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Family Communications, Inc., a small nonprofit company in Pittsburgh, PA produces the television program, as well as non-broadcast materials such as books for children and adults, home video, CD’s and video-based training materials.
· Famous Guests on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Special visitors to the "Neighborhood" over the years included talented people from many fields: Tony Bennett, Big Bird, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, The Boys Choir of Harlem, children's author Eric Carle, folksinger Ella Jenkins, Julia Child, pianist Van Cliburn, magician David Copperfield, marine biologist Sylvia Earle, Arthur Mitchell and his Dance Theatre of Harlem, actress Rita Moreno, paper sculptor Ben Gonzales, TV stars from “The Incredible Hulk” Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, poet May Sarton, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann, Broadway star Tommy Tune, oboist Natasha, creator and author of the ARTHUR books Marc Brown, Soviet children's television host Tatiana Vedeneeva, pianist Andre Watts, Olympic gold medalist ice skater Peggy Fleming, the Mississippi Fife and Drum Corp, classical guitarist Manuel Barrueco, Apollo XV astronaut Al Worden, potter Eva Kwong, violinist Hilary Hahn, and the performers from the off-Broadway production of STOMP!.
· The factory videos: The Neighborhood factory videos, a favorite of young and old alike, show how people make things from A-Z -- from applesauce to zippers: backpacks, bandages, bass violins, bicycle helmets, blankets, blue jeans, caps, cereal, construction paper, dinner plates, erasers, graham crackers, grape jelly, guitars, ice cream cones, light bulbs, macaroni, marbles, markers, paper bags, pretzels, ribbons, robots, rocking horses, roller skates, sleeping bags, socks, facial tissues, towels, sneakers, spoons, strollers, suitcases, sweaters, tofu, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tortilla chips, towels, traffic lights, tricycles, trumpets, umbrellas, vacuum sweepers, vegetable soup, wagons, yo-yo's.
· The Sweaters: Fred Rogers' mother knit the original ones. Every year she knitted a dozen sweaters, and at Christmas, she gave one to family and close friends. To help set the tone for a comfortable "visit" with his young viewers, Fred Rogers decided to put on a sweater and change into sneakers as a way to help children settle in for the half hour.
· Sweater at the Smithsonian: The Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. has one of Mister Rogers’ sweaters on permanent display in the American History area of the Popular Culture collection.
· The Rogers Family: Fred Rogers was married to the former Joanne Byrd, a concert pianist. They have two married sons and three grandsons.
· Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer: As teenagers growing up in the same town, Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer took golf lessons from Arnold's father. As Fred Rogers quipped, "You know who the better student was!"
· Honorary Penguins Captain: In 1993, the National Hockey League celebrated its 75th anniversary by asking its teams to choose “celebrity captains.” The Pittsburgh Penguins named Fred Rogers, and he ice-skated into the arena to thunderous applause when he received his award - and a Pittsburgh Penguin sweater.
· Fred Rogers: Champion of the VCR:

Fred Rogers’ testimony in the landmark case of Sony Corp. V. Universal City Studios (1983) was literally pivotal in persuading five Justices of the United States Supreme Court to permit home viewers to record television broadcasts on VCRs for personal use. According to the opinion of Justice Stevens:

…two items in the record deserve specific mention. [464 U.S. 417, 445]
First is the testimony of John Kenaston, the station manager of Channel 58, an educational station in Los Angeles affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service. …
Second is the testimony of Fred Rogers, president of the corporation that produces and owns the copyright on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. The program is carried by more public television stations than any other program. Its audience numbers over 3,000,000 families a day. He testified that he had absolutely no objection to home taping for noncommercial use and expressed the opinion that it is a real service to families to be able to record children's programs and to show them at appropriate times.27 [464 U.S. 417, 446]
If there are millions of owners of VTR's who make copies of televised sports events, religious broadcasts, and educational programs such as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and if the proprietors of those programs welcome the practice, the business of supplying the equipment that makes such copying feasible should not be stifled simply because the equipment is used by some individuals to make unauthorized reproductions of respondents' works. The respondents do not represent a class composed of all copyright holders. Yet a finding of contributory infringement would inevitably frustrate the interests of broadcasters in reaching the portion of their audience that is available only through time-shifting.
[Footnote 27] “Some public stations, as well as commercial stations, program the ‘Neighborhood’ at hours when some children cannot use it. I think that it's a real service to families to be able to record such programs and show them at appropriate times. I have always felt that with the advent of all of this new technology that allows people to tape the ‘Neighborhood’ off-the-air, and I'm speaking for the ‘Neighborhood’ because that's what I produce, that they then become much more active in the programming of their family's television life. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been ‘You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions.’ Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, [464 U.S. 417, 446] in a healthy way, is important.” Id., at 2920-2921. See also Defendants' Exh. PI, p. 85.

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WORKING FAR BEYOND THE “NEIGHBORHOOD”
Family Communications, Inc. (FCI), which for three decades produced MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, is a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based not-for-profit company that creates a wide range of materials dedicated to young children, their families, and those who support them. Over the years, FCI has quietly expanded beyond broadcast television into almost all forms of media – print, audio, video, training workshops, the Internet, DVD, and traveling exhibits. The company’s work is in use across America and around the world.

FCI seeks to support healthy emotional, social, and intellectual development at all ages. The company is widely acknowledged for its ability to transmit important and sometimes complex information in clear, effective, and respectful ways.

Pioneering Media Work Rooted in Child Psychology, Human Development
Family Communications, Inc. was founded in 1971 by Fred Rogers as the production company for his national television series, MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD. Fred Rogers served as FCI’s President for many years, then in 1995 became Chairman. He was succeeded as President by Bill Isler, who in 1984 left his position of Commissioner of Education for Pennsylvania to take a leadership role at FCI.

Fred Rogers’ founding mission of communicating with young children and their families in open, nurturing, supportive ways continues to guide FCI’s work. Fred’s emphasis on the continuing study of child development, combined with pioneering uses of media, is evident as FCI extends its messages to multiple audiences and continues to explore ways in which both new and old media can best support children and families.

FCI Senior Staff: Over Two Centuries Working With Fred
Over the years, FCI has attracted a staff of media and child development professionals mentored by Fred Rogers and dedicated to improving the lives of children and families. Currently, FCI’s senior staff represents over 200 years of collective experience of working with Fred Rogers. In addition, FCI has worked with top experts in child psychology, child development, and additional disciplines specifically related to the company’s various projects.

The longest-running series on public television, MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD led the way in showing how well television can communicate with young children and their families, and talk about and dramatize significant developmental and psychological issues.

Family Communications has produced many materials directly based on MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD – books for children and adults, videocassettes for family and children, audiocassettes and CDs of Fred Rogers’ songs, websites for young children and for adults, and traveling museum exhibits. FCI’s childcare training materials are used extensively in child care settings across the country (and beyond) and its anger management training materials (to help child care professionals help children) have been disseminated through grants from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Projects Beyond the NEIGHBORHOOD
Beyond MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, Family Communications has produced a significant number of other materials for a wide variety of audiences. While their individual purposes differ, all FCI materials reflect a profound understanding of the developmental stages through which people progress in achieving the important skills of emotional and social health and well-being.

FCI projects currently in production include:
· ExplanatoidsTM - a second stage of the Girls Math and Science project. Funded by the National Science Foundation, and implemented in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, the project is a gender-sensitive model for enhancing math/science literacy within the community.
· An early childhood education DVD on “early literacy” for use in college-level classrooms is being produced with the Carnegie Mellon University Media Design Center.
· One Kind Word – a project to produce materials for retail store personnel to support parents during difficult times shopping with young children. It is being developed in cooperation with Family Resources, a Pittsburgh-based child abuse prevention and treatment organization.
· The Safe Havens Police Project - materials for police training about the impact of violent situations on young children being developed in collaboration with the Child Witness to Violence project at Boston Medical Center and the Yale Child Study Center.
· PBS Parents website – Family Communications staff is working with PBS Online personnel in the expansion and enrichment of the PBS Parents website which includes essays and video clips from MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD.
· Challenging Behavior childcare training workshop – As a follow-up to the very popular children’s anger management training workshop “What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel?”, FCI is creating a three-hour workshop for early educators on ways to help children who exhibit challenging behavior achieve skills of self-regulation.

Among recent Family Communications’ projects:
· Different and the Same – an award-winning series of 15-minute videos on tolerance and diversity for early elementary grades; created with psychologist/puppeteer Dr. Susan Linn.
· What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel? – a three-hour training workshop for childcare providers about supporting the growth of young children’s ability to manage angry feelings and achieve self-control.
· The Safe Havens Training Project – three workshops for childcare professionals on the impact of community violence on young children; created with a number of experts including those from the Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center.
· Scenes from a Shelter – a book by Fred Rogers and staff member Hedda Sharapan, and videos written and performed by Dr. Susan Linn, on the impact of domestic violence; for use with young children in women’s shelters; created in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Coalition on Domestic Violence.
· FamilyCares – a series of 12 easy-to-read, illustrated parenting pamphlets, available in English and Spanish, developed in conjunction with the Office of Child Development of the University of Pittsburgh.
· Girls Math and Science - an outreach and engagement campaign to eliminate the barriers that discourage girls from becoming full participants in tomorrow’s technology-based work force; in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh’s Learning Research and Development Center.

“ NEIGHBORHOOD” Continues to Air; Still Important to Families and to FCI
MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, which continues to be shown across the country on PBS stations, remains an important part of the lives of millions of young viewers and their families-- and an important aspect of FCI’s work. FCI continues to provide extensive support to the series through: websites-- its own (www.fci.org) and PBS’s (www.pbskids.org/rogers); schedule information linked with related activities and children’s books; pamphlets for parents and early educators; training materials for PBS stations; and other promotional events and materials.

The program and its creative team, led by Fred Rogers, have received hundreds of awards and commendations; their work is revered by experts in both children’s media and child development. Letters and email confirm the treasured place MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD holds in the lives of so many families.

Family Communications projects have been supported by a wide variety of charitable and governmental organizations. Among others, they include: The Heinz Endowments, The Grable Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lilly Endowment, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Alcoa Foundation, Buhl Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, McCune Foundation, Maurice Falk Medical Fund, The George Gund Foundation, Dyson Foundation, Foundation for Child Development, A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, Freddie Mac Foundation, Sears-Roebuck Foundation, and PPG Industries Foundation. FCI has also received support from the Migrant Education Department of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Title I funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the National Science Foundation.

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Sweater Drive Honors the Spirit of Fred Rogers: Beginning in January 2004, PBS stations and other organizations across the country will celebrate Fred Rogers’ neighborly spirit with the renewal of the tremendously successful Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. Many stations are timing their sweater drives to coincide with the national PBS premier of "Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor" television special on New Year’s Day, January 1st at 9:30 p.m. ET.
During the Sweater Drive, members of the community are asked to donate their gently worn sweaters, as well as other items of clothing. The Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive is a great opportunity to create the "good feelings" of being good neighbors in your community.

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Title: Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor
NOLA: FAFN 000Q1
Producer: WQED Multimedia and Family Communications Inc.
Length/Format: 65 minutes approximate/3 acts with 3 pledge breaks
Feed Information: Sat., 12/20/03, 1300-1415/502

Segment Timings:
ACT #1 19:13
Black/Slate/Countdown 00:35
ACT #2 23:46
Black/Slate/Countdown 00:35
ACT #3 17:07
Black/Slate/Countdown 00:35
Credits are separated from act #3 – Length: 01:02 (Including: Credits, Funding, PBS System Cue)

TOTAL PROGRAM LENGTH: 01:01:08 (Exclusive of internal breaks)
TOTAL RECORD LENGTH: 01:02:53 (Inclusive of internal breaks)

[Click Here for Core Program Detail]

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Act #1 (length 19:13):

The first video seen is of Mr. Rogers singing, “There are many ways,” followed by a Program Tease with the following voice-over by Michael Keaton:

FRED ROGERS WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN. HE MADE MORE THAN 900 TELEVISION PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP CHILDREN UNDERSTAND OUR OFTEN-BAFFLING WORLD, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY COULD TALK ABOUT THINGS, EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN LOTS OF WAYS, AND IMAGINE WONDERFUL WORLDS.

HE MADE UNUSUAL TELEVISION, AND IT WORKED. HE CREATED HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE KIDS WERE ACCEPTED AND LOVED, AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES CAME TO SEE THAT HE PROVIDED A UNIQUE SERVICE -- A REASSURING ADULT WHO WAS HAPPY TO SIT AND TALK AND BE YOUR NEIGHBOR FOR A LITTLE WHILE EVERY DAY.

HE WAS A PUPPETEER, TOO, WHO STARTED BEHIND THE SCENES ON TV IN THE 1950s.

IN THE EARLY '60s, HE BEGAN APPEARING ON-CAMERA AS HIMSELF. AND BY THE LATE '60s, HE AND HIS COMPANY OF LOYAL COLLEAGUES HAD STARTED TO CREATE THE CLASSIC AMERICAN TV PROGRAM THAT HAS COME TO MEAN SO MUCH TO SO MANY.

HE WAS A COMPOSER AND LYRICIST, A MINISTER, A WRITER, AND PRODUCER, AND A SORT OF RELUCTANT CELEBRITY. HE BECAME A MUCH-LOVED PART OF AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE, A GREAT GUY, AND A WONDERFUL NEIGHBOR.

This is followed by Title Graphic, and Funders Credits (PNC, Eat'nPark Family Restaurant, The Heinz Endowments) and Viewers Like You/Thank You.

Michael Keaton introduces himself and talks about his work in Pittsburgh at WQED and his experience working with Fred Rogers. Keaton himself appeared on some of the episodes of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD.

Keaton talks about the normal pattern of events that occurred on MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD, from the show open, to the show topic or theme, to the point in the show where Fred takes us into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. He continues by talking about the leisurely flow of the show, the
visitors that come to see Mister Rogers, the short documentary segments and trips to places outside of Mister Rogers studio home (i.e. the pretzel factory).

Fred Rogers made all these programs in Pittsburgh in the Studios at WQED. His own company, Family Communications, Inc., is located there too, and includes many of the people who helped Fred put together all the productions.

Fred Rogers used music in a very interesting way and Peggy Charren, from the Action for Children's Television comments on the subject.

The program then gives a background of Fred Rogers past in chronological order, from his birth and family life in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, through his high school days and college years, to his first job in television at NBC in New York.

Close: This segment ends as Fred Rogers talks about what he was thinking as he looked into the camera lens during his show tapings:

”AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SUPERB ADVICE FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD EVER BE THINKING OF TELEVISION. HE EVIDENTLY THOUGHT OF ONE CHILD. I DON'T THINK OF ANY ONE PARTICULAR CHILD, BUT I THINK OF THE CHILDREN THAT I KNOW AND MANY OF THE ASPECTS OF LIFE THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH. BUT I DON'T THINK OF A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN I LOOK AT THE TELEVISION CAMERA. IT'S A VERY, VERY PERSONAL MEDIUM.”

OUTRO (length 00:15): Title graphic with message “will be back in a moment” and music.

Break 1 (length 00:35)

ACT #2 (length 23:46)

The program reopens on title graphic. This is followed with footage from Fred's marriage to Joanne Byrd in July of 1952. A year later he and his wife would move from Florida to Pittsburgh, where Fred would help start the first community sponsored TV station WQED.

At WQED Fred worked together with Josie Carey to create the station's first regular program, THE CHILDREN'S CORNER- a program that featured lively conversation between Josie and a number of Fred's puppets.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation gave Fred his next opportunity to produce a daily show for children. The program was called MISTEROGERS and for the first time Fred was in front of the camera. When Fred went north, he took many of his puppets from “Children's Corner” with him, and he then
began to call their world “The Neighborhood of Make-Believe”. The CBC designed this elaborate set for the puppets, setting a style for the “neighborhood of make-believe” that would last for more than 40 years.

The "MISTER ROGERS" program was a hit in Canada, but before long, Fred moved back to Pittsburgh, and by then, Fred and Joanne had two young sons. At this time, after years of part time study, Fred had been ordained a Presbyterian Minister with a special charge- he was to work with children and
families through the mass media. It was a mission he would take very seriously.

By 1967 Rogers was producing a new series of programs he called MISTEROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. As Fred worked on these shows he often talked to prominent child psychologist Dr. Margaret McFarland, one of their meetings is included in the program. Dr. McFarland was the principal advisor to the program.

In the late 1960s the US Senate was considering cutting in half a 20 million dollar grant for Public Broadcasting and Fred was invited to speak and submit a paper at the hearings. Fred spoke calmly and talked about his programs and said what made public television different from the cartoons and
violence elsewhere on TV. His statement helped secure the $20 million dollars.

By that time, National Educational Television, the precursor to PBS, had already started broadcasting Fred's program nationwide. The format and furniture today are not much different from the first national broadcast back in 1968.

Rogers asked jazz pianist Johnny Costa to be his musical director for this new series. The program shows part of the creative process involve in putting together the songs. Johnny Costa was just one of Fred's many creative collaborators who became loyal and long-lasting parts of the “neighborhood.”
Fred gathered a sort of repertory troupe of actors and performers who appeared regularly on the show in both the realistic and the make-believe segments.

Keaton then talks about Eddie Murphy's spoof “Mister Robinson's Neighborhood,” and the time they met in person. It is discussed how Fred Rogers has become an American institution. Because Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood were so well respected, it's not surprising that famous visitors dropped in including many great artists.

CLOSE: Act 2 ends with footage from a MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD episode with Yo-Yo Ma.

OUTRO (length 00:15): Title graphic with “will be back in a moment” message and music

Break 2 (length 00:35)

ACT #3 (length 17:07)

The program re-opens on funding credits (PNC, Eat'n Park Family Restaurant, The Heinz Endowments) and Viewers Like You/Thank You.

The third Act opens with Fred Rogers talking about a song he wrote “What do you do with the mad that you feel?”

Michael Keaton mentions how Mister Rogers helped kids understand the complexities of life, the challenges of moving to a new house, dealing with physical disabilities, even thinking about death and divorce. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton discusses the world of fantasy in children. Although the
” neighborhood of make-believe” is fantasy, the puppets sometimes grapple with genuine problems and fears that children may understand.

It is discussed by Dr. Brazelton how Fred has made emotions OK for small children, and that he opened up the whole area of affective development, of emotional development to parents and children, because “if parents watch with their children and then pick up on whatever comes out of the program as a way of communicating with their child, they have a rare opportunity to join the child in their reactions to Mr. Rogers program.”

The show then features a number of clips with parents talking about MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD.

Fred talks about a memorable interview with a boy named Jeff Erlanger, who once visited Rogers on the set of the NEIGHBORHOOD.

Fred received many honorary degrees, recognitions and awards for his talents, his simple songs and his unique body of work as America's favorite TV neighbor. The program shows footage of some of the various recognitions Fred received including: the Emmy for Life Time Achievement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and then footage of Fred being welcomed into the TV Hall of Fame by his old friend Jeff Erlanger.

Keaton wraps up the program in saying that “we're fortunate to live in a time when some of the work of great people like Fred Rogers can be preserved on videotape. The many programs of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD will endure or continue to find an audience as long as there are children who want to be loved and reassured and have a need to know that they are special. We're all lucky to have had such a good neighbor.”

Close: The last clip in this segment is the end of a MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD episode. Mister Rogers is getting ready to leave his studio home and is telling the viewer that they are special. Fred walks off the set and the end shot is of a house in the model neighborhood followed by a fade to black.

OUTRO (length 00:15): Title graphic with a “will be back in a moment” message with music.

Break # 3 (length 00:35)

Closing Credits (length 01:02): Fred and Johnny Costa at the piano sing ?I am proud of you.? Production credits over music. There is space for a lower-third station phone number key. PBS System Cue (length 00:06).

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Title: Fred Rogers America’s Favorite Neighbor (Pledge Event)
NOLA: FAFN 000V1
POP
HARDFEED: January 1, 2004 - 2130 to 2300/502
Prefeed: Tue., 12/23/03, 1530-1700/502

Important Notes:

Talent:
· Cheryl Hamada, Chicago
· Chris Fennimore, WQED

Rights:
· 8 releases, beginning January 1, 2004, and expiring January 31, 2006
· Any release of this pledge event will constitute a release of the core program.
· PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ALL STATIONS

Event Format:
· This 90-minute pledge event will be built around the core program, and will consist of three (3)
program segments with three (3) breaks.

Format Rundown:

Format Rundown:
Act One: (duration 19:13)
Break One: (duration 10:19)
Local Opt Out Dissolve to black @ 1:26:23 – ends at 1:28:23 (duration 2:00)

Act Two: (duration 23:42)
Break Two: (duration 09:20)
Local Opt Out Dissolve to black @ 1:59:31 – ends at 2:01:32 (duration 2:01)

Act Three: (duration 16:59)
Break Three: (duration 08:20)
Local Opt Out Dissolve to black @ 2:24:27 to 2:26:28 (duration 2:01)

Production Credits and PBS System Cue: (duration 01:02)

Total Run Time: 1:28:55

Click here for Added Pledge Break Detail

Audience Demographic Information:
· Pledgers will be almost entirely women
· The largest age group should be 35-49
· Average college education levels for a pledge program
· Cuppa Joe program
· Light PTV viewers – largely weekenders or kids show viewers
· Caucasians, with above average ethnic pledging.

Added Pledge Break Detail

BREAK #1 (Length: 10:19)

Intro with Chris & Cheryl at the “Make Believe Studio” 01:19:13

Call to Action “Support this kind of programming…” 01:20:03

Fred Rogers – Founder father of public television 01:20:24

$90 Level – Choice of DVD or 2 VHS set - 2 hours of additional material 01:20:35
Premium roll-in – VHS or DVD

Cheryl with premium information 01:22:04

$175 Commemorative Watch 01:22:06

$250 Commemorative Trolley 01:22:43

Call to Action 01:23:07

Chris – Special remarks about Fred Rogers – Relates to program 01:23:12
Mission pitch – public television

Call to Action 01:24:23

Interview with David Newell (Mr. McFeely) – PBS pitch 01:23:42

Cheryl – Legacy of PTV – mission pitch – Fred Rogers’ legacy 01:25:37

LOCAL OPT OUT 01:26:23
· “You gotta be” PBS Spot 01:26:24
· Chris – Mission Pitch 01:26:55
· End of Local Opt Out 01:28:23

Cheryl – Call to Action – Premium review 01:28:24

End of break 01:29:31
BREAK #2 (Length 09:20)

Open with Cheryl – Relates to Program 01:53:13

$90 Level – Choice of DVD or 2 VHS Set 01:53:43

$175 Level – Watch 01:54:08

$250 Level – Trolley 01:54:39

Call to Action – Whatever level is right for you… 01:55:09

Chris – Relates to program – PBS mission pitch 01:55:15

Call to Action – Chris reviews all levels 01:56:03

Interview with Rick Sebak – shares anecdotes about the taping of the program 01:56:46

Cheryl – relates to program – Children’s programming – Call to Action 01:57:54

Premiums – All levels 01:58:26

LOCAL OPT OUT 01:59:31
· Mission Pitch – Value of programming 01:59:32
· Premium recap 02:01:15
· End of Local Opt Out 02:01:32

Cheryl – Comments on Fred Rogers’s legacy – Call to Action 02:01:33

End of break 02:02:33

BREAK #3 (Length 08:20)

Cheryl – Relates to program – Call to Action 02:19:32

Premiums – All levels 02:20:04

Chris – Relates to program – Mission Pitch 02:21:16

Comments by Joanne Rogers – On children’s programming 02:22:38

Cheryl – Relates to program – Educational value of series 02:23:35

LOCAL OPT OUT 02:24:27
· Saleem Ghubril – Roll in – Comments on Fred Rogers 02:24:28
· Cheryl – Mission Pitch 02:25:19
· End of Local Opt Out 02:26:28

Chris – Call to Action – Importance of being a member 02:26:29

Premium recap 02:27:25

Closing remarks 02:27:31

End of Break 02:27:52

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All Premiums Offered/Available:
Program VHS w/ 2 hours of additional material not broadcast
Program DVD w/ 2 hours of additional material not broadcast
“You Are Special” Commemorative Watch
“You Are Special” Trolley

Premium Levels:

$90 Companion VHS & DVD Station cost: $11
$175 Mr. Rogers Commemorative Watch Station cost: $22
$250 Mr. Rogers Commemorative Trolley Station cost: $30

Premiums offered for this program:
ITEM: Companion 2-VHS set and companion DVD, Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor

Link to Download VHS JPEG
Link to Download DVD JPEG

Exclusivity: Not exclusive to PTV stations

Description: Fred Rogers has been America’s favorite neighbor for more than 30 years on PBS…delighting, enlightening and reassuring children with his unique television programs. Now, his life and legacy are celebrated in this commemorative program full of treasured memories, rare vintage clips and behind-the-scenes footage from his 50 years in television. Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor is hosted by actor (and former Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood crew member) Michael Keaton. The 2 Volume VHS and DVD each feature 2 hours of additional material that is not seen in the broadcast version of the program. All material on the 2-VHS set and DVD are identical and are approximately 3 hours in length.

Extra material includes:
Mr. Roger’s two visits to the Tonight Show w/ Joan Rivers hosting
Mr. Rogers appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show
Jeff Erlanger/TV Hall of Fame
Presidential Medal of Freedom
WNET’s Creative Person Documentary
Backstage Memories from friends and co-workers of Fred Rogers

Distributor: WQED Multimedia
Suggested Retail Price: 2-VHS set: $24.95 each DVD: $24.95 each
Station Cost: 2-VHS set and DVD – $11.00 each
Item Number: Order by title and format
Image Availability: Will be made available around 12/10/03 on PBS Connect (Fundraising Programming)
Sleeve Availability: Stations can order samples at station cost after 12/15/03.
Product Availability: Available 12/15/03

ITEM: Commemorative Watch, Mr. Rogers “You Are Special”

Link to Download Women’s Watch JPEG
Link to Download Men’s Watch JPEG
Link to Download Enlarged Watch Face

Exclusive to PTV Stations from 1/1/04 to 6/30/04.

Description: Grayish/gun-metal mesh band watch. The center of the watch face features a picture of the Neighborhood trolley and the phrase “You Are Special” There is a men’s and woman’s watch available – please specify quantity of each size needed when ordering.

Distributor: WQED Multimedia
Suggested Retail Price: $50.00 each
Station Cost: $22.00 each
Item Number: Order by title (please specify quantity of each size needed)
Image Availability: Will be made available around 12/10/03 on PBS Connect (Fundraising Programing)
Sleeve Availability: Stations can order samples at station cost after 1/19/04.
Product Availability: Available 1/19/04.

ITEM: Commemorative Trolley, Mr. Rogers “You Are Special”

Link to Download Trolley JPEG

Exclusive to PTV Stations from 1/1/04 to 6/30/04.

Description: A special wooden replica of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood trolley. Inscription on the side rail reads “You Are Special” and features Mister Rogers’ signature. Dimensions of Trolley 6?”h x 11”l x 3?”w.

Distributor: WQED Multimedia
Suggested Retail Price: $75.00
Station Cost: $30.00
Item Number: Order by title
Image Availability: Will be made available around 12/10/03 on PBS Connect (Fundraising Programming)
Sleeve Availability: Stations can order samples at station cost after 12/10/03.
Product Availability: Available 12/10/03

Minimum Order: No minimum
Delivery Time: 6 – 8 weeks from receipt of order.
Shipping & Handling: Handling not included in price. Shipping via UPS Ground by weight
Terms: 30 Days
Contact:
ORDER by FAX
WQED Multimedia
Mary Ann Yuhaschek
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 1-800-274-1307
Fax: 412-622-1309
E-mail: myuhaschek@wqed.org

Premium Orders and Samples
Fax orders to Mary Ann Yuhaschek

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Title: Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor
NOLA: FAFN 000K1
Producer: WQED Multimedia and Family Communications Inc.
Length: 00:56:46
Feed Information: Wed., 12/31/03, 0930-1030/502

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For additional program information, please contact:

Keyola Panza
Manager of Station Relations
WQED Multimedia
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone 412-622-1395
Fax 412-622-1309
Email stationrelations@wqed.org

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