In 1969, Mister Rogers saved public TV… In 1969, Mister Rogers helped save public television—not with spectacle, but with empathy. Speaking before a skeptical Senate committee, Fred Rogers made the case that children need support to process difficult emotions like anger, frustration, and confusion. Through his now-famous song “What Do You Do with the Mad That You Feel?”, he shared a simple but powerful message: it’s okay to feel anger—but we can choose how we respond. Whether through creativity, movement, or a moment of pause, Rogers believed in giving kids tools to handle emotions with care. His testimony moved Senator Pastore so deeply that it helped secure $20 million in funding for public TV. Decades later, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—which funded NPR, PBS, and hundreds of local stations—has voted to dissolve after federal funding ended, marking a major change in the public media landscape. Rogers’ approach reminds us: even in moments of change, calm conviction and ...