TODAY ON. FOR THE RECORD, SPEEDY DELIVERY. DAVID NEWELL. HE HAS BEEN PART OF OUR LIVES FOR GENERATIONS, PORTRAYING MR. MCFEELY ON MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW HE SHARES HIS MEMORIES. FRED PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON CHILDHOOD, EARLY CHILDHOOD, LEARNING, AND THAT’S SO IMPORTANT. AND BOTH HE AND THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FRED ROGERS PRODUCTIONS DELIVER THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION. IF YOU’VE EVER WATCHED A CHILD WATCH TELEVISION, THEY THEY’RE NOT SCROLLING YOUNG CHILDREN. THERE. THEY ARE INTENSE AND THEY WATCH EVERYTHING THEY SEE AND THEY TAKE IT IN A VERY SPECIAL EDITION OF FOR THE RECORD, STARTS RIGHT NOW. WELCOME TO. FOR THE RECORD, I’M MICHELLE WRIGHT. THIS WEEK IS A WEEK TO CELEBRATE KINDNESS AND THE SPIRIT OF PITTSBURGH’S MOST BELOVED NEIGHBOR, FRED ROGERS. THIS THURSDAY WILL MARK 97 YEARS SINCE HE WAS BORN. SADLY, WE LOST MR. ROGERS IN 2003. MARCH 20TH IS ALSO KNOWN AS WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? DAY. NATIONWIDE. AND THIS MORNING I’M SPEAKING WITH A MAN WHO HAS BEEN CARRYING ON FRED ROGERS LEGACY. DAVID NEWELL, WHO PORTRAYED MR. MCFEELY ON MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE SAT DOWN AT THE EXHIBITION AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER THAT FEATURES ICONIC ARTIFACTS FROM THE LONG RUNNING CHILDREN’S SHOW. I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING IN HERE. WE’RE IN THE HISTORY CENTER. WE SEE THE CASTLE. WE SEE THE TREE. WE SEE SOME OF FRED ROGERS CLOTHES. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK HERE WITH ALL OF THIS? YOU KNOW, THE THE. I’VE BEEN HERE SINCE THIS HAS BEEN SET UP. BUT THE FIRST TIME I CAME IN, WHEN WE MOVED DOWN TO THE HISTORY CENTER, IT WAS HARD TO TAKE IT REALLY BROUGHT BACK SO MANY MEMORIES. I SPENT 35 YEARS WITH ALL OF THE SCENERY. WE. WE DID PROGRAMS FOR 35 YEARS, AND IT WAS JUST A PART OF ME. AND THEN NOTHING. AND THEN THEY MOVED IT DOWN HERE, AND THEY HAD A CELEBRATION WHEN THEY OPENED UP THE AND IT HAD TO BE EMOTIONAL. IT WAS IT WAS VERY BECAUSE IT BROUGHT BACK ALL THE MEMORIES NOT ONLY OF OF FRED AND I CAN I CAN SEE FRED. I SPENT SO MANY YEARS BEHIND THE CASTLE HELPING FRED MANIPULATE PUPPETS. HE ONLY HAD TWO HANDS. SO WHEN THERE WERE FOUR PUPPETS, I. THAT WAS ME. SO ALL OF THAT, IT BROUGHT. BROUGHT BACK. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING SO AMAZING THAT HAS HAD SUCH AN IMPACT ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY? YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU STOP TO THINK ABOUT IT. IT’S HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT IT IS, AGAIN, FOR ME, ANYHOW, A VERY EMOTIONAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DID I LOVE GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, I HATE IT’S SUNDAY NIGHT. I’VE GOT TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW. I LOOK FORWARD TO GOING TO WORK ON MONDAY TO SEE WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO, WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TAPE, WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT, AND I MISS, MISS THOSE DAYS. BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALSO MET MY WIFE AT MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT 20 YEARS LATER, SHE CAME AS AN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, AND THAT’S HOW WE MET. AND THREE. THREE KIDS AND SIX GRANDKIDS LATER, HERE I AM. BUT IT’S IT HAS SO MUCH IMPACT FOR ME. JUST WHEN I SEE THESE TREES, I CAN REMEMBER CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH FRED BEHIND THE TREE. WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE CAMERAS TO GET READY. DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN YOU STARTED THE SHOW WHEN YOU WERE TAPING THAT FIRST EPISODE, THAT IT WOULD RUN FOR SO LONG? NO, I, I WAS HOPING IT WOULD, BUT I THOUGHT I HAD A JOB FOR ONE YEAR WHEN I MET FRED. I MET HIM, I KNEW WHO HE WAS, BUT I MET HIM AND HE TALKED TO ME FOR AN HOUR ABOUT EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE SHOW. HE TALKED ABOUT ME WHERE I WAS. I HAD JUST COME BACK FROM VISITING MY COUSIN IN LONDON, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT. HE SAID HOW MUCH HE LOVES TO TRAVEL. ALL OF THAT. AND AT THE END OF AN HOUR HE SAID, WHEN CAN YOU START? THAT’S HOW HE HIRED ME. THAT WAS FRED. HE WAS FINDING OUT NOT SO MUCH ABOUT MY QUALIFICATIONS, ALTHOUGH HE SHOULD HAVE, I GUESS. BUT IT WAS HE WE WE WE WE COULD SEE WE COULD WORK TOGETHER. I GUESS I’M TRYING TO SAY. AND THAT WAS FRED. WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE SHOW IMPACTED OUR LIVES ON THE OUTSIDE. STILL REACHING BACK FOR THOSE LESSONS EVEN IN ADULTHOOD. I WANT TO KNOW HOW THE SHOW CHANGED YOU. I THINK IT GAVE ME MORE RESPECT FOR CHILDHOOD. SOMETIMES YOU THINK, OH, KIDS, YOU KNOW. FRED PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON CHILDHOOD, EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING, AND THAT’S SO IMPORTANT. THAT’S WHAT I THINK. I THINK THE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARS OF A CHILD’S LIFE. AND THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THE EMPHASIS FRED WAS PUTTING ON WHAT HE WAS BROADCASTING. THAT CHANGED ME. I THINK. DID OH, OH, IT CAME THE I I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE CHILDREN, BUT I NEVER REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT THAT HE WAS PUTTING INTO THE PROGRAM. SO YOU DID HAVE THREE CHILDREN. I’M WONDERING WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THEIR DAD BEING MR. MCFEELY. WELL, I DON’T I THINK THAT OH, ONE TIME MY SON WAS OLDER AND HE WAS HE WAS INTERNING AT A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM. HE WANTED TO GET INTO SPORTS MANAGEMENT, AND THEY GOT A PICTURE OF HIM SITTING ON THE IT WAS CALLED THE POTTY BOOK. GOING TO THE POTTY IS THE NAME OF A BOOK THAT IS VERY GOOD. IF YOU FOR IF YOU RAISING CHILDREN. AND TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, THEY GOT A COVER SHOT OF IT AND PUT IT ON THE SCREEN AND THE STADIUM AND AND THE AUDIENCE, THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHO IT WAS, BUT THE AUDIENCE WAS CLAPPING AND IT EMBARRASSED HIM. BUT HE GOT A BIG KICK OUT OF IT. BUT THEY ALL HAVE SOME CONNECTION TO THE PROGRAM BECAUSE I WOULD TAKE THEM WITH ME TO DIFFERENT PLACES. WHEN I WOULD TRAVEL, I WOULD TAKE WHOEVER AVAILABLE WITH ME AND HAVE THEM. I LOVE BEING WITH THEM AND THEY ENJOYED THE THE TRIP AND IT. I THINK IT MADE A BIG IMPACT ON THEM. AFTER A WHILE MY ONE SON SAID, OH, THAT’S THAT’S MISTER, THAT’S, THAT’S MISTER ROGERS. YOU KNOW, HE THEY BECAME SO USED TO SEEING FRED THAT IT WASN’T LIKE SEEING EVERY OTHER CHILD WOULD STOP IN THEIR TRACKS WHEN THEY SAW FRED ROGERS. BUT OUR KIDS GOT USED TO IT. I GUESS THAT’S. AND YOU TOLD ME SOMETHING I NEVER KNEW BEFORE. HE ACTUALLY TAPED AN EPISODE IN THE EARLY DAYS AT CHANNEL FOUR STUDIOS. WTAE. MORE THAN AN EPISODE. THERE WAS A TIME THAT CHANNEL FOUR WAS HAVING SOME LEAD UP TO THE HOLIDAYS, AND IT WAS A SPECIAL HOLIDAY MONTH. THE CHANNEL FOUR WAS HAVING AND FRED, THAT’S WHERE MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS FIRST SEEN IN THE UNITED STATES. I MEAN, THAT’S INCREDIBLE. WE’LL BE VERY PROUD OF THAT. I’M SO GLAD YOU SHARED THAT. AND THAT’S WHERE WE MET JOE NEGRI. JOE NEGRI BEING HANDYMAN NEGRI ON THE PROGRAM, AND JOE WORKED FOR CHANNEL FOUR FOR MANY YEARS. AND THAT’S THAT’S THE CONNECTION. NOW, I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT HE TAPED MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD THERE, BUT THEN HE MOVED ON TO WQED AND THEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IT’S AMAZING. STILL AHEAD ON FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU GOT THE NAME MR. MCFEELY. MORE MEMORIES FROM DAVID NEWELL, HOW HIS CHARACTER CAME TO BE, AND A LOOK BACK AT ONE OF THE FAMOUS FACES WHO PAID A VISIT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WELCOME BACK TO. FOR THE RECORD, I WANT TO RETURN NOW TO MY CONVERSATION WITH DAVID NEWELL, WHO FAMOUSLY PORTRAYED MR. MCFEELY ON MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD AS HE SHARES MORE MEMORIES FROM THE BELOVED CHILDREN’S PROGRAM. YOU HAD SO MANY FAMOUS PEOPLE ON THE SHOW. I WAS LOOKING THIS UP. YOU HAD YO-YO MA. AMAZING BIG BIRD, JULIA CHILD, RITA MORENO, TONY BENNETT, MARGARET HAMILTON, THE ORIGINAL WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST. CAN YOU SHARE WITH US MAYBE SOME OF THE FAMOUS PEOPLE THAT YOU MET THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU? OR A FUNNY STORY SURROUNDING WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE THERE? MARGARET HAMILTON IS ONE. HOW? OH YES, SHE WROTE A LETTER TO THE TV GUIDE OF CHANNEL 13 IN NEW YORK CITY. SHE LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY, AND EVERY PUBLIC STATION HAS THEIR OWN PROGRAM GUIDE. AND SHE WROTE A LETTER SAYING, I LOVE SESAME STREET AND AND PLEASE GIVE MISTER ROGERS A BIG HUG FOR ME. AND I SAW THAT. AND I SAID, FRED, I THINK WE SHOULD INVITE MARGARET HAMILTON ON THE PROGRAM, AND SHE CAN TALK ABOUT SCARY THINGS BECAUSE PEOPLE STILL SAY, HOW MUCH WIZARD OF OZ THE WITCH SCARED THEM, EVEN ADULTS. SO FRED SAID, WELL, IF YOU CAN FIND MARGARET HAMILTON, I’LL WRITE THE SCRIPT. AND I FOUND HER. SHE WAS TOURING IN A MUSICAL CALLED A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, AND MY WIFE AND I WENT TO HER, TOOK THE SCRIPTS TOUR, AND SHE SAID, I’D LOVE TO DO THIS. AND SHE CAME ON THE PROGRAM AND, AND, AND HELPED CHILDREN WITH SCARY IMAGES. AND SHE WAS A DELIGHTFUL PERSON. AND SHE WORKED WITH EVERYBODY IN HOLLYWOOD. YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED OFF IN NEW YORK ON THE STAGE, AND SHE WOULD TELL US STORIES ABOUT MAE WEST AND W.C. FIELDS. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHO ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE. YES, YOU ARE. AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. BUT WHEN OUR SON WAS BORN, OUR SON, MIDDLE CHILD WAS BORN. SHE HAD HEARD THAT AND SHE CALLED AND SHE SAID, I’M COMING TO PITTSBURGH TO SEE HIM. AND SHE SAID, MEET ME AT THE PITTSBURGH AIRPORT. AND I DID, AND WE STOPPED INTO QED. SHE SAID HELLO TO FRED, AND THEN SHE CAME TO OUR HOUSE AND SAT ON OUR SOFA WITH OUR SON IN HER LAP. HE WAS ONLY A MONTH OLD AT THAT TIME, AND THE PHONE RANG IN OUR HOUSE AND OUR NEIGHBOR SAID, DID I JUST SEE THE WICKED WITCH, WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST GOING INTO YOUR KITCHEN? THEY RECOGNIZED HER AND SHE DIDN’T HAVE ANY COSTUME ON. YEAH, DON’T GET A BUCKET OF WATER. NO, SHE’S SHE’S REALLY GOOD, RIGHT? SHE LOOKED REALLY GOOD, AND SHE WAS WONDERFUL. AND THEN SHE SAID, WELL, TAKE ME BACK TO THE AIRPORT. SHE CAME FOR THAT ONE DAY TO SEE HIM. SHE WAS FRIGHTENING IN THE MOVIE, BUT IT’S SO NICE TO HEAR BEHIND THE SCENES HOW WONDERFUL SHE WAS. SHE WAS A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER BEFORE SHE WAS A LOVELY PERSON, BUT LOVED TO PERFORM. SHE LOVED ACTING. IF YOU LOOK AT HER CREDITS, SHE’S BEEN SHE WAS GREAT IN THE MOVIE. OH, BUT SHE WAS THE DEFINITIVE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST. OH YES. THERE ARE OTHER STORIES THAT SHE TOLD US ABOUT, BUT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TOO LONG RIGHT NOW AS WE TOUR THE EXHIBIT AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER, DAVID NEWELL SHARES ANOTHER MEMORY WITH ME. SO THIS IS HOW YOU MADE YOUR SPEEDY DELIVERY? YES. THIS TRICYCLE NOT ORIGINALLY, THOUGH. THEY GOT ME A TRICYCLE A LITTLE LATER ON. AND WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE I COULDN’T RIDE A TWO WHEELER VERY WELL. I NEVER WE GREW UP ON A HILL AND I NEVER HAD A BICYCLE UNTIL I JOINED THE SHOW. AND FRED SAID, WELL, YOU’LL HAVE A TWO WHEEL BIKE AND THAT’S HOW YOU’LL MAKE SOME OF YOUR DELIVERIES. SO THE FIRST DELIVERY I MADE, OR ONE OF THE FIRST DELIVERIES I WAS DELIVERING TO EXCEL, AND I SAID, BY X, SPEEDY DELIVERY. AND I WENT AROUND THE TREE AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE OTHER BRANCH OVER THERE, AND YOU COULD HEAR THE CAMERAMAN LAUGHING. IT’S AN OUTTAKE. GOODBYE. OH, I BETTER GET FINISHED. YEAH. SPEEDY DELIVERY. I WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU GOT THE NAME MR. MCFEELY. WELL, ACTUALLY, IN THE FIRST SCRIPT, WHEN I. FRED GAVE ME THE SCRIPTS, THE DELIVERY MAN’S NAME WAS CALLED MR. MCCURDY. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT MCCURDY WAS THE NAME OF THE SEARS, ROEBUCK FOUNDATION PRESIDENT WHO SAID, YES, WE’LL GIVE YOU MONEY TO PRODUCE YOUR PROGRAM. SO FRED THOUGHT, OKAY, I WILL THANK HIM BY CALLING ONE OF THE CAST MEMBERS MCCURDY. SO EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND A PHONE CALL CAME THE FIRST DAY WE WERE GOING TO TAPE, AND THE PHONE CALL CAME, AND MR. MCCURDY WAS ON THE PHONE SAYING, WE LOVE THE CONCEPT OF THE PROGRAM. WE LOVE THIS, WE LOVE THAT. AND IT’S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. WE’RE PROUD TO BE PART OF IT, HE SAID. BUT ONE THING, PLEASE DON’T CALL THE DELIVERY MAN, MR. MCCURDY. IT’S A LITTLE TOO SELF-SERVING. WE THINK SO. FRED CAME BACK IN THE STUDIO. I WAS ALL IN MY UNIFORM, READY TO GO, READY TO BE CALLED MR. MCCURDY. AND FRED SAID, WE HAVE TO GET YOU ANOTHER NAME BEFORE HE FINISHED THE SENTENCE. HE SAID, MCFEELY. THAT’S WHO YOU ARE. YOU’RE. MCFEELY. I GUESS HE GOT MISS MCCURDY. MCFEELY BUT IT’S HIS MIDDLE NAME. FRED MCFEELY. ROGERS THE REAL MCFEELY WAS HIS GRANDFATHER, A REAL MR. MCFEELY. AND THAT’S HOW THE NAME MCFEELY CAME. AND HERE I AM. SO NOW WE KNOW. SO THE SHOW HAS BEEN OFF OF THE AIR IN TERMS OF NEW PRODUCTION FOR SOME 25 YEARS. DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE MESSAGES AND THE PROGRAM IS STILL SO LASTING TODAY? WELL, I THINK BASICALLY BECAUSE OF FRED ROGERS, HIS WAY OF HIS DELIVERY AND HIS SINCERITY, I THINK THAT THAT’S WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM RESONATE TO THIS DAY, NOTHING IS REALLY FILLED THAT VOID TO THAT EXTENT. AND HE JUST HAD THAT THAT THERE WAS JUST FRED WAS ABLE TO TAKE ALL THAT CHILD DEVELOPMENT THEORY FROM BOOKS THAT HE HAD IN THE MUSIC AND, AND LOOK INTO THE CAMERA AND LOOKING INTO A TELEVISION CAMERA, AS YOU PROBABLY WELL KNOW, IT’S NOT THE EASIEST THING TO DO. IT’S A IT’S A LITTLE FRIGHTENING AT TIMES, BUT FRED WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT, THAT CAMERA AND MAKE IT COMMUNICATE. HE WAS ABLE TO USE TELEVISION TO COMMUNICATE CHILD DEVELOPMENT. AND I DON’T THINK ANYBODY HAS USED THE CAMERA AND TELEVISION THE WAY FRED DID. AND HE HAD THAT KNACK. IT WAS A KNACK. HE’S A NATURAL. STILL AHEAD, MORE ON THE LEGACY OF FRED ROGERS AND WHAT DAVID NEWELL SAYS HE’S EXPECTING FOR THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION. WELCOME BACK TO FOR THE RECORD. JOINING MY CONVERSATION WITH ACTOR DAVID NEWELL IS PAUL SIEFKIN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF FRED ROGERS PRODUCTIONS. AS WE DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION AND THE RESPONSIBILITY HELD BY THE PEOPLE WHO PRODUCE IT. I WANT YOUR ADVICE FOR PARENTS WATCHING THIS ON HOW THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEIR YOUNG ONES ABOUT SOME STRESSFUL THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT SEE AND HEAR ABOUT. WELL, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS QUOTES THAT FRED ROGERS HAD REGARDING CHILDREN SEEING SCARY THINGS ON TELEVISION WAS SOMETHING THAT HIS HIS MOTHER USED TO SAY TO HIM IS WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING SCARY, LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE AROUND WHO ARE HELPING. AND THAT’S WHERE THE EXPRESSION LOOK FOR THE HELPERS CAME FROM. AND THAT ADVICE STILL HOLDS TRUE TODAY. CHILDREN CAN LOOK AT ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE TO HELP FIX THE SITUATION. THAT IS SCARY. BEYOND THAT, THOUGH, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE THERE ARE GROWNUPS EVERYWHERE WHO ARE THERE TO KEEP THEM SAFE. PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE, THEY LIKE TO HAVE A FEELING OF CONTROL. BUT WHEN THINGS ARE OUT OF THEIR CONTROL, THEY GET SCARED. AND ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING FOR PARENTS TO DO IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE FEELINGS OF INSECURITY, OF FEAR, AND NOT TO TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, DON’T BE AFRAID. IT’S OKAY TO BE AFRAID. IN FACT, THAT’S A THAT’S A NATURAL FEELING FOR CHILDREN. SO ACKNOWLEDGING THOSE FEELINGS AND THEN HELPING THEM TO DEAL WITH THEM IS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP FOR PARENTS TO TAKE. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ANYBODY AT ANY AGE, BUT I REMEMBER THAT WELL WHEN I WAS A CHILD, FRED, TALKING ABOUT THAT ON THE SHOW. AND IT REALLY DID STICK WITH ME. AND I’M SURE, DAVID, A LOT OF ADULTS COME UP TO YOU TODAY AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IT MADE TO THEM WHEN THEY’RE FACING SOME SORT OF OBSTACLE. OH, ALL THE TIME. IT HAPPENS A LOT. BUT WHAT? JUST WHAT PAUL SAID REMINDED ME. MY GRANDSON, WHO’S FOUR AND A HALF NOW, SAW SOME OF THE FOOTAGE OF THE PALISADES BURNING, AND IT REALLY CONCERNED HIM FOR A POINT. BUT HE’S FOUR AND A HALF. BUT WHAT? ALSO, HE’S ZEROED IN ON WAS THE FIRE TRUCK. HE LOVES FIRE TRUCKS, BUT HE ZEROED IN ON THAT. BUT HE EVEN SAID, OH, LOOK, THEY’RE HELPING TO PUT OUT THE THE FIRE. AND I THOUGHT, YES, YOU’RE RIGHT. AND THEN I WENT BACK AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, HE’S JUST WATCHING MISTER ROGERS NOW. AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, MR. ROGERS ALWAYS SAID, AS PAUL SAID, WELL, LOOK FOR THE HELPERS. AND I THINK THAT REALLY I THINK THAT’S SOME OF THE BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE TO A YOUNG CHILD. JUST LOOK FOR THE BECAUSE YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING. YOU’RE SITTING THERE BUT LOOKING FOR THE HELPERS REALLY HELPS THAT CHILD. AND I THINK IT HELPS THE ADULT TOO. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION. FRED ROGERS MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE. HE’S BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG, BUT YET HIS IMPACT TO ALL OF US IS STILL SO STRONG. WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION? WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DROVE FRED INTO THE WORLD OF TELEVISION AND PARTICULARLY CHILDREN’S TELEVISION, IS THAT HE LOOKED AROUND AND HE FELT LIKE THIS POWERFUL MEDIUM BACK IN THE 60S WAS MAYBE NOT BEING PUT TO ITS BEST USE, THAT IT COULD REALLY HELP CHILDREN TO, TO LEARN TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM. AND SO HE TOOK THAT AS HIS CHARGE, BECAUSE THERE WASN’T ENOUGH OUT THERE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. SO TODAY THERE IS A LOT MORE THAT’S AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN IN MEDIA. BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THERE’S ALSO A LOT MORE MEDIA. WHEN FRED STARTED, THERE WERE FOUR CHANNELS. NOW YOU CAN YOU CAN SEE AND ACCESS MEDIA ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE. SO IT’S THAT MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE OFFER FAMILIES AND CHILDREN SOMETHING THAT IS OF VALUE, SOMETHING THAT IS HELPING TO MODEL FOR THEM WHAT IT MEANS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING WHAT IT WHAT IT MEANS TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, AND REALLY TO TO THINK ABOUT THEIR THEIR CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT’S WHAT’S REALLY GOING TO BENEFIT THEM IN THE LONG RUN. AND THAT CAN STILL SHINE THROUGH. BUT IT’S JUST AS IMPORTANT. AND NOW THERE ARE A LOT MORE OUTLETS IN ORDER TO TO REACH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. AND THAT’S TRUE BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOUR MESSAGE COULD BE DILUTED A LITTLE BIT BY ANYTHING THAT’S COMING ON, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT IT’S ALSO EASIER THAN EVER ON DEMAND TO BE ABLE TO WATCH SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT AND SO RELEVANT AS WHAT YOU’RE OFFERING. YES. AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO IT THE SAME WAY THAT FRED DID BY CREATING CHARACTERS THAT CHILDREN CAN RELATE TO, WHO ARE HAVING SOME OF THE SAME CHALLENGES OR QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE. AND THEN BEING ABLE TO MODEL FOR THEM SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT BE REALLY THEY MIGHT BE STRUGGLING WITH SO THAT THEY CAN SAY, OH, I REMEMBER HOW DANIEL TIGER HANDLED THIS SITUATION, AND I CAN DO THAT TOO. AND SO WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE EVERYWHERE FROM STREAMING VIDEO TO BROADCAST TELEVISION TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHTFORWARD LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION? DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHERE IT’S GOING OR WHERE IT SHOULD GO? BOY, THAT’S A. WELL, I I’M GLAD WE HAVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE CAN KEEP PROGRAMS AVAILABLE LIKE MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERYTHING THAT FRED ROGERS PRODUCTIONS PRODUCES. I HOPE FRED ALWAYS WANTED TO CREATE A LIBRARY OF PROGRAMS. THAT’S WHAT HE SAID WHEN WE STARTED THE FIRST DAY. HE WANTED MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE A LIBRARY OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU COULD SORT OF PULL DOWN OFF THE SHELF AND WATCH. AND I HOPE IN A WAY, AND I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S GOING TO BE THAT WAY. CHILDREN’S TELEVISION COULD BE THAT ALL THE POSITIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE COULD ACCUMULATE IF IDEALLY, IF YOU COULD JUST HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO PULL DOWN HERE, WATCH THIS ONE AGAIN. MY, MY MY GRANDSON I, I’M, I’M ABLE TO SORT OF SEE HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS NOW BECAUSE I HAVE SOMEBODY WHO’S IN THAT AGE CATEGORY AND I’M LEARNING SO MUCH FROM HIM. AND HE LIKES TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT HE SAW BEFORE. SO MAYBE THAT LIBRARY CONCEPT WOULD BE I’M NOT SAYING THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GOING, BUT IDEALLY, MAYBE THAT COULD BE THE WAY IT GOES. WELL, AND I THINK THAT SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT MOST OF THE THINGS THAT WERE ON MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD, WE LIKE TO THINK OF AS WERE TIMELESS LESSONS. THEY’VE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. BUT A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE LESSONS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MANAGE YOUR FEELINGS AND AND BE ABLE TO HAVE SELF-CONTROL. THOSE ARE ALSO VERY TIMELY. AND YOU WOULD HOPE THAT AS AS CHILDREN WHO GREW UP ON CONTENT THAT WE’VE CREATED, THAT PBS KIDS HAS CREATED GROW INTO ADULTHOOD AND WANT TO MAKE CONTENT ON THEIR OWN, THAT THAT THEY’RE THINKING ABOUT THE AUDIENCE AND WHAT HOW CAN WE HOW CAN WE HELP THE AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM? YOU KNOW, FRED ALWAYS SAID, I REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST DAYS I STARTED, OR MAYBE IT WAS IN THE INTERVIEW I HAD WITH HIM WHEN I STARTED. HE SAID THAT THE SPACE BETWEEN THE CHILDHOOD HOME AND THE TELEVISION CAMERA, OR THE SCREEN IS HOLY GROUND AND PRODUCERS OF CHILDREN’S TELEVISION HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN DO. MY CONVERSATION WITH DAVID NEWELL DOESN’T STOP HERE. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT WE DISCUSSED DURING OUR TALK AT THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER. SO I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME ON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR MONDAY AT NOON. FOR MORE OF OUR CONVERSATION, INCLUDING INSIGHT ABOUT THE FAMOUS FRED ROGERS TRADITION OF WEARING SWEATERS. BUT THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY. ON. FOR THE RECORD, HAVE A GOOD WEEK AND SPEEDY DELIVERY.