On May 1, 1969, Fred Rogers, host of the (then) recently nationally syndicated children's television series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood , testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce Subcommittee on Communications to defend $20 million in federal funding proposed for the newly formed non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was at risk of being reduced to $10 million. Subcommittee chairman Sen. John Pastore (D-RI), unfamiliar with Fred Rogers, is initially abrasive toward him. Over the course of Rogers' six minutes of testimony, Pastore's demeanor gradually transitions to one of awe and admiration as Rogers speaks.
Fred Rogers Testifies Before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications
The young Mr. Rogers brings down the house in his 1969 effort to save public broadcasting from the chopping block.