Contact PBS Headquarters

You can let PBS know how you feel about Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood being removed from their syndicated weekday lineup.  Here are some things to consider before contacting them:

1. In cases like this, a letter is always better than an email. Write your message on a postcard — this will expedite delivery as all envelopes are subject to a security screening — and mail it to the address below.

2. Don’t flame them. Be courteous, and express your feelings (as we’re sure Mister Rogers would want) while keeping “the mad that you feel” in check.

3. Make it personal. Most of us know the things that make Mister Rogers special, and we’re sure that the folks at PBS know, too. You should express these things, of course, but you might also want to consider relating a personal story of how Mister Rogers touched your life, or the life of a child you know.

Here’s how to contact PBS:

Public Broadcasting Service
2100 Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202
ATTN: Linda Simensky
Senior Director, Children’s Programming

Contact PBS online...

Contact Your PBS Station

PBS member stations who wish to continue airing the Neighborhood program each weekday must now pick it up in alternative ways. While not entirely prohibitive, these options are not as easy as simply going with what PBS beams out — they can opt to receive a bulk feed from PBS and program episodes independently of the syndicated schedule.

If the PBS station serving your area has dropped the program, you can let them know how you feel. Here are some things to keep in mind before reaching out…

1. It’s wonderful that we have such good memories of Mister Rogers. But it’s most important for stations to hear from viewers who have been watching the program recently with the children they care for.

2. Viewership of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood has apparently declined somewhat in recent years. We don’t know why, because the content is just as relevant today as it’s ever been. Perhaps it hasn’t been promoted well? Maybe it has suffered due to lack of wider commercial exposure? (We shudder at the thought of Mister Rogers on a diaper.) Simply be prepared for ratings to be cited in any response you may receive.

3. If you haven’t been a regular Neighborhood viewer lately, don’t make assumptions about your local schedule. While 63% of PBS stations aired the program before the September 2008 programming switch, some haven’t aired it for a number of years.

Find your local PBS station...