%
Hi, I'm
David
Hoffert, a% volunteer
here at
PBS% Wisconsin here
with you to
kick off PBS Wisconsin's
December membership drive.
You are probably
aware that 2025 has
been a challenging year for public media
. Withthe elimination of federal
funding. You're alsoprobably aware
that Wisconsin
invented public broadcasting
over 100 yearsago.
Services like PBSWisconsin have
been aroundbefore there was
federalfunding. While there was
federal funding and will ntinue
even into this newera
of public broadcasting.But what
I want to talk toyou about tonight
is theidea of a pair ofcommitments
. Here's ourcommitment to you. We aregoing
to continue to bringyou the
quality programingyou have come to
rely on,no matter what the
financial landscape is , andwe're going
to do that in partnership with you. When
you make a commitment to usto
be part of the financingfor public
media, give us acall right
now. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm Regina
Belotti,a volunteer here at
PBSWisconsin. And when you
make your gift now , you arehelping
to help keep the
coverage that you lovegoing in the
year to come. So when you become
a memberat $10 a month
, we willgift you with this
fantastic PBS Wisconsin er
hat. So it's thatPBS blue
that we all knowand love
, especiallyperfect for a cozy evening
like tonight where it'svery snowy outside. At
$12a month, we will
gift youwith a book with writings
about the US Constitution,
different ways it's interpreted, which at
thispoint in time is such an
important thing to have . At
$15 a month, we'll gift youwith
a PBS Wisconsin Insulated mug, and
at $20 a month will gift
you withthe hat , the Constitutionbook
, and the mug . So giveus a
call at (800)2 363636.
>> Hi, I'm MichaelBridgeman.
I'm a volunteerhere as well.
I'm pleasedto be with you
this eveningand to say thank you
to allof you who watch and
support PBS Wisconsin.
ButI especially want to draw
your attention to ourSustainers
Sustainers are people who make a
monthlycommitment to PBS Wisconsin,
with a regular
donationgiven every month
fromtheir checking account ortheir charge
card. Whatever.You set up the method
youprefer, and it's one way
of making sure that
there'ssome stability andcontinuity to
funding not only on your
side as interms of
your own finances, but also on the
side ofpublic television . Andstability and
continuityare really important
ideas in these uncertain
timesfor public broadcasting,
but it's something you
cando. I'm a sustainer because
it makes my life simpler,
quite frankly, and I get tochoose
how much to give . Ican choose to
raise it,lower it , stop it if I
wantto, I won't , but you canbecome
a sustaining memberas well. You can do
that bycalling the number on you rscreen
. You could alsoincrease your amount by
calling (800) 236-3636.
>> You know, there's a
verylong list of programs onPBS
Wisconsin that that
represent the value that
this service provides to you. But certainly
PBSNewsHour is on that
listbecause it is a source
of trusted,
independent journalism.
Right? It is going to tell you
the truth,whether it's the truth thatyou
want to hear or not.And I
say something likethis every time I'm on
herewith you for PBS NewsHour.But
it doesn't. It feel more and more true
everysingle time. Now we have AIthat is so seductively
easy to ask questions of
, andyet you realize that it'sbasically
telling you whatyou want to hear.
We needservices like PBS NewsHour
that that give us that
broader perspective, enableus
to have conversations with people who
feeldifferently than we dobased on
facts. That's whatyou are
supporting when you call
1-800-236-3636. >> And
you know the quality of PBS Wisconsin support is
built on members like you
and gifts that you makeevery day
. So when you become a member
at $10 a month, we will
give youthis fantastic
winter hat. It's that great
PBS blue, the little puff
on top. Andremember that
that giftmakes such an impact in
thecoverage that we're able tocontinue
to provide. At $12a month
, we will gift youwith the US
Constitutionbook and writings of
it.It's a leather bound,beautiful book
, somethingthat will allow you
as youconverse with others,
toreally engage in those
materials. At $15 a month,
we will gift you with alittle ray
of sunshine with this yellow insulated
PBSWisconsin mug. And
at $20 a month,
you will receive thehat, the Constitution
book,and that insulated
PBSWisconsin mug . So now is
the time. If you're not amember, do
it today at (800) 236-3636.
>> And when you are
amember of PBS Wisconsin
atany of our suggested levels,
that comes with certainbenefits. Of course
, thekey benefit is the greatprograms
that we bring toyou day after
day, weekafter week , year after year.But
there are additionalbenefits as well,
includingPBS Wisconsin , which is a
very useful guide to theschedule
each month on PBSWisconsin,
as well as What's New,
some behind thescenes things
as well. It's a very useful and
interesting publication. Imake sure
I look at it every month before the
month starts, so that I'mready
for the month ahead .Another real
benefit is PBSPassport.
That's an online service that you
would haveaccess to that
has allkinds of programs, some ofwhich
you're familiar with from PBS Wisconsin
, some ofwhich you may not be
. Theseare programs from countriesall around
the world. And it's an interesting and
fascinating place for additional viewing of
quality television programs.You
can do the Passport.
You'll get airways when youcall
us at (800) 236-3636.
>> So we've been talkingabout
the value that PBSNewsHour provides in
termsof being based in fact. Sohere's
a fact for you .There are tens of
thousandsof Wisconsin families that
support PBS Wisconsin .
Wisconsin. Now a question.Are you
one of them? Thisis a critical
moment. Youknow the stakes. And we're
asking you to join thiscommunity
in making thiskind of
programing possible.It all starts with you
. Itstarts with each of us. The
number to call is
1-800-236-3636. You canalso go online
to pbswisconsin.org.
Pleasemake a pledge of supportright now
.
%
Hi, I'm David
Hoffert, avolunteer
here at PBSWisconsin . I grew
up watching Mister Rogers,
andI can almost guarantee yousomeone in your
life did aswell . And that's why
we'rehere, taking a brief breakfrom
this incredibly moving program to ask
you to makea pledge of financial
support to allow PBSWisconsin to
continue bringing programs
like Mister Rogers, which
arestill on the air more than
20 years after he passedaway. But
on on weekendsand many other educational
programs as well to
children across Wisconsin,the
numbers are on your screen.
1-800-236-3636 and you know a
very appropriatepoint to to break in here
.Right after we saw MisterRogers
singing a song with Jeff Erlanger,
who was from Madison, Wisconsin.
Andwhat an interestingconnection
that is. And ,and what a,
what an impact that relationship has had
on the Wisconsin community
over the years as well.
It's all about communityand the
way public media works. That community
includes you. When you call
1-800-236-3636. >> Hi.
I'm Regina Belotti,a
volunteer with PBSWisconsin,
and it's sowonderful to be with youhere this evening
. You know, families across the
country have been tuning
in since 1968 to Mister
Rogers. And his
lessons continue to resonate with people
eventoday. So
if you aren't asustainer,
I hope you'll become one tonight so
wecan continue to bring thesehigh quality
programs toevery household acrossWisconsin.
When you becomea sustainer at $10
a month, we'll gift you with
thefour disc DVD set,
TheKindness Collection withMister
Rogers, whichfeatures 30 incredible
episodes that you canrevisit with
a child inyour life.
At $15 a month.We
have a fantastic bookthis beautiful
day with 365
reflections, with
insightsfrom Mister Rogers,
andalso a fantastic sweater
changing mug. And then at
$20 a month, you'll getthat four
DVD set the book,
the mug, and the DVD of the
show that we are watchingnow. So give
us a call at
(800) 236-3636. >> Fred
Rogers introduced a whole lot of
ideas andconcepts that had not
beenseen in on television for
the most part, andcertainly not in
children'stelevision. And he did itfor
a remarkable 33 years,
and he never lost his touch.He was
a unique person, aunique personality, and
aunique presence on public
broadcasting for more thanthree decades
. Herepresents the kind of
wonderful stuff that youcan
still find on PBSWisconsin in many
differentways, and it's a goodreason
to remember when you make your call of
supportto PBS Wisconsin and
becomea financial supporter of
the kinds of programs likethis
and the programs wecontinue to
do and will continue to do
in thefuture , you can help
support all of that withyour pledge
of support andyour financial contributionto
PBS Wisconsin at
(800) 236-3636. >> It's kind
of amazing tothink about how
talentedFred Rogers was, right?
Obviously, he was the hostof that
show. He was also the producer of that
show,the writer . He was the
voice of most of thosepuppets.
I mean, everyaspect of
that show was ,was this was
this man'svision. But the
mostimportant thing that Fred
Rogers gave to society
wasa program that was
aboutchildren, not
from the perspective of adults
, nothow adults see children
,how children
feel children.
And that is so unique
.That's that's what that'swhat makes
it somethingthat was only ever
going tobe on PBS. And so
when youcall , you are
supportingthat kind
of idea. That isthat
is only possible when it is funded
by you. Giveus
a call 1-800-236-3636.
>> And you know those
lessons that Mister Rogersbrought into
households and talked with kids
at their level? Those
lessons just continue
to resonate
withkids even today. So
you canhelp his legacy continue
when you make a gift now.
So when you become asustainer
at $10 a month,again,
we'll send you that Fantastic Kindness
DVD set. Withthat,
all those lessonsthat he
talks about, whether it comes
winningand losing and how tohandle
that, or how toexpress yourself
with music. There's so many
wonderfulthings and little tidbitsthat
you can share with thechild in your
life,especially here during the holidays.
So at that
$15 amonth level , we'll send you
this fantastic book, thisbeautiful day
with dailywisdom from Mister Rogers
,as well as that sweater
color changing mug. Andthen
at $20 a month , we'llsend you
the DVD set, the book, the mug
, and again, the episode that
you'rewatching here tonight . Sogive us
a call at (800) 236-3636.
>> Regina mentioned severalof
the benefits that youget with
your membership in PBS Wisconsin.
Another oneis PBS Passport.
If youjoin at any of these levels
,you will have access tostreaming programs on
PBSPassport. And it's full
ofall kinds of wonderfulstuff.
There are programsyou may be familiar with
.For example, Miss Scarlett
is one of the offerings on
PBS Passport, and maybeyou've seen it
. Maybe you'dlike to see it again. Or
maybe you missed an episode.It's there on
PBS Passport,but there's a lot of things
that haven't made it to theair and
aren't likely tomake it to the air
. So alot of programs fromcountries around
the worldand so on. It's really a
wonderful mix of additional
content, additional television viewing,
all ofwhich is excellent
that youcan access with
PBSPassport. And you can do
that when you call and showyour support
at thesesuggested levels at
(800)2 363636.
>> What really stands outto
me watching the clips inthis show
tonight is, ishow unique of a
programMister Rogers Neighborhoodwas
. I? I have a son who as
of yesterday is eight yearsold.
Happy birthday Buddy .Although I hope you're
inbed by now . And he has
recently discovered that onour
smart TV, there areapps other
than PBS kids .Specifically, he
hasstarted watching reruns ofPower
Rangers, which I willadmit
has a bit of nostalgia for me. But but
u know, I'm so
I'mwatching these episodes with him, and I
comparethat to what I'm seeingtonight.
And and Mister Rogers is
unlike any otherchildren's
programing interms of the educationalcontent
, the emotional content,
the moral content.
Right. And that is made
possible by support
fromour community. Power
Rangers had commercial sponsorships.
Fred Rogersdidn't.
Fred Rogers wasresponding to the needs
ofhis community in a
veryparticular way , and you
canbe part of that when you
call 1-800-236-3636.
>> And, you know, I, like
David, have two little boysat home
who love watching PBS Wisconsin.
And I hadthat same thought as I
wassitting watching thisepisode of
what wonderfulmessages Mister
Rogers hadto share and how to
tackledifficult conversations. So
if this is something thatyou
relate to, I hopeyou'll consider
giving us acall and becoming a
sustainer tonight at the$10 a
month level, we'llsend you
that four DVD set,that Kindness
Collection,where Mister Rogers tackles
all sorts of important
topics. And then
at the $15a month level,
you will get those
365 reflections withMister Rogers
, as well as that sweater color
changing mug, one that
requiresgreat care . So make surethat
you don't put it inthe dishwasher. And
then at$20 a month,
we'll send youthat four DVD set,
the book,the mug, and tonight's
episode that you're enjoying with us now
. Sogive us a call
(800) 236-3636 or pbswisconsin.org.
>> All right. We're goingto go
back to the program now and show you
more ofMister Rogers . Let me just
end briefly on a sober note.You are
probably aware that federal funding for
publicmedia was eliminated thisyear, and that is
a wholenew challenge for
PBSWisconsin that we arerising to the occasion with
your help. But if there'sone thing
that Fred Rogerstaught us, it was that
astrong community can do
anything. So this is thetime
for us to come together and make sure
thatPBS Wisconsin stays strongand
call that number 1-800-236-3636.
.
%
Hi, I'm
David Hoffert, a volunteer here at
PBS Wisconsin. Here tonight celebrating
with you the impact
and the legacy of
Fred Rogers, a teacher,
an advocate, an author,
a television icon, and
most importantly, a friend
and a
friend that came to
millions of children across the country
. Thousands, maybe even millions
of children in Wisconsin,including
me, for decades,
and only on
PBS only because of the
support of viewers like
you. And we want to kick
up that celebration a notch during
this break. Oh, hold on one
second, because we're going to do
a challenge break.
Yes. Caught it .
Now, a challenge break meansthat
when you call one 800 236,
this is really awkward . Nowonly having one
shoe on. When you call that number on
your screen, any donation you make
will be doubled by friends
of public media during
this break. So give us a call
. We're going for 30 calls during this
break. 1-800-236-3636.
>> And you know, if
you grew up with Mister Rogers
like I did ,it's hard not
to get a little bit emotional when you
see all of these
examples of compassionand warmth
. They just reallyresonate
. And you can helpcontinue to
bring these to children
for generations tocome.
So at the $10 a
month level will gift you
with that for DVD
set, with the KindnessCollection.
And there's been a little bit of excitement
in in here tonight because we
have tried out the mug
that you get at the $15
a month level , andhe does
indeed change color.
So his jacket is
blue when it's cold and
it turns yellow, you
can see as it gets warmed up
. So again, not dishwasher
safe. Take good care. But that iswhat
you we will thank you withat
the $15 a month level. And
then at the $20 a month level
, you will get that four DVD
set, the book, the mug
and the DVD of tonight's
program. So if youhaven't called
us yet tonight, please give us a
call at (800) 236-3636.
>> And remember, this is
a challenge break, which meansthe value
of your contribution to PBS
Wisconsin is doubled thanks to a
challenge fund that we have set up with
existing members of PBS
Wisconsin. We've had four calls on our
way to 30 calls. I'm sure we
can make it, and we'll make it. When
you call the number that's on yourscreen
and show your support for PBS Wisconsin
, you know, Fred Rogers is
an icon of ofpublic television
. And he influenced a whole
lot of people for the better
in the 33 years that his
program was on the air.
And you can influencepeople
for the better in yourown way, too
, by supporting public television,
because it'sthe kind
of organization andsystem,
and the programs wehave help us
understand each other locally and
around the world. So
if that's the kind ofthing you like
on TV, then youshould call support
it at (800) 236-3636.
>> So we are up to
five callsgoing for 30
. I'm very happy tohear that we're
starting off hot, because that means that
you care about the legacy ofFred
Rogers on PBS . And I can
certainly understand why . Youknow, now
that I'm a parent ,you know,
obviously, I, Ivalued Mister
Rogers as a child,but but
I also now appreciate how much he did
to to teach adults how to
talk to children .You know,
there are some there are some scary things
in the world. There are some, some,some
bad things that happen that can be hard
even for adults to comprehend. Even Fred
Rogers struggled, you know , hedied in
2003. And I rememberreading in those
last couple of years about how much he
struggled with understandingthe September
11th terrorist attacks, but he
left us with so much
wisdom that that is applicable to this day
. For example, he said, look for
the helpers and you know what we'redoing
in the studio right now.We are listening
for the helpers because we can hearthose
phones ring. And that means that you care
. Have got six calls. We need 24 more
. Give us a call 1-800-236-3636.
>> That line. Look for the
helpers. I know I think aboutit
all the time when I'mtalking to my
little boys. And what a way.
It just helps carry his legacy on.
And we've talked so much about that this
evening. And our thank you gifts tonight
really allow you to embodythose
messages and thoseimportant
topics that Fred Rogers shared
and carry them into the next
generations. So when you make a gift
at $10 a month, we'll send
you that kindness collection, that fourDVD
set that covers
all kinds of important topics
winning and losing, ups and downs
of friendship, different
arts with music and Qur'an
making, all kinds of great things
. Alongwith that,
at the $15 a monthlevel,
you'll get the sweatercolor changing
mug as well asthe book
, and I wanted to shareone of
the daily reflections ,which is,
I think the most important part about
communicating is the listeningwe
do beforehand, when we
can truly respect what someone
brings to what we're offering
, it makes the communication all
the more meaningful . So
give us a call and then don't forget
at that $20 a month level,
you'll get that four DVD set,
the book, the mug, and the DVD
of tonight's program. Give us a
call 802 363636.
>> As a viewer of publictelevision
, you are undoubtedly aware that federal
funding forpublic media
no longer exists.It's been
taken away, andstations and
organizations areresponding in
different ways. It's a challenging time for
public television and publicradio as
well. But you know,the
extent of the impact on PBS
Wisconsin is going to depend
on a number of things, but mostimportantly
, it's going to depend on you as a
member. Members have always been
the largest support
for financialsupport
for PBS Wisconsin, andthat
will continue to be the
case. In fact , it's likely to
become even more important thatindividuals
, families, and
organizations support PBSWisconsin
directly. And this isone of
those opportunities when you can do so
by calling one of the volunteers who's in
the studio tonight who really wouldlike
to talk to you . We've hadseven
calls on our goal way toa goal
of 30 calls during thisbreak. So please
call now. (800) 236-3636.
>> Now there's a really
important nuance to whatMichael just told
you. It is true that members make up
the largest share of funding for
PBS Wisconsin, but it's not one
big donation. It's individual
small donations spread
across tens of thousands
of people in the state of
Wisconsin and beyond the borders, for
that matter, that make that possible.
And and that really is thecommunity
idea that Fred Rogers
was all about.
It doesn't matter if you can
give $100 a month. That's wonderful,
and I hope you will. If you
can afford to give $5 a month
, that is equally wonderful,
and I hope that you will.
And when you do it during this break
, that money will be doubled. Sowhat
I'm going to say to you is,won't
you please, please won'tyou please
, please, won't youhave your
money doubled when you call
1800 363 636. Didn't
work very well, did it?
>> Are PBS Wisconsin
really was wonderful? PBS
Wisconsin reallyrelies
on viewers like you , sowe
can continue to come intoyour living
room and sing you beautiful songs like this
. And Mister Rogers,
these topics are so important and
his legacy continues. And so
when you make a gift at $10
a month, we willgift you
with that four DVD set.That
kindness collection now
is a great time of year. You can
gift it to a friend or familymember
at $15 a month.
We'll send you this beautiful dayagain
. Makes a beautiful gift.These reflections
I've beenreading and
flipping through here. There's just some
really wonderful messages to share
. And at $20 a month, we'll send
you the DVD set , the book,
the mug, and the DVD of
tonight's program. So if you are a
fan of Mister Rogers, I hope you'llgive
us a call at
(800) 236-3636. >> And one
of the real benefitsof becoming
a supporter, amember of
PBS Wisconsin is receiving airwaves
every month throughout the year,
throughout the term of your membership,however
long that may be , it'sa very
useful guide. Fundamentally, it's a schedule
of the programs, which givesyou an
advance look at what'scoming to
the air every,
every month. And that's true of
all three broadcast channels.
But it also gives you some behindthe
scenes information, highlights what's
new, some of the projects and
programs that are coming your way. So
this particular issue is about the
new documentary, Bucky . Andthere's a
little Q&A with somebody who
was Bucky forthree years
recently. And that's just another little
added benefit, a touch,
a little something
extra when youcall
and show your support of
PBS Wisconsin Airwaves magazine,
a real benefit and a real
reason to call (800) 236-3636.
>> You know , there was a
time not so long ago
that that comedians had fun making
fun of Mister Rogers with, well
, the sweater and the colorful
sneakers and just the the
slowness of his
presentation style. You know, I think theywere
making fun of the factthat he kind
of was out of stepfrom a from
a fast moving world .But but gosh, don't
we look back on that now and say
, I think Mister Rogers was the onewho
was right about that ? Howhow many of
us are desperately looking for ways in our
day just to take a moment to
slow down, and all we had to do wasgo
back and watch the wisdom ofFred Rogers
to understand
what matters in life
slowing down, but also family
and children and values.
It was there infront of us
all along, and it was there in front
of us on PBS .And so we are
asking you tonight to make
programs like that continue to
be possible,whether it's
the children's programing or the adultprograming
that you appreciate. On PBS Wisconsin
, we're up to 13 calls.
Make make yours the next one.
1-800-236-3636. >> And
really, it's been so
wonderful being able to sharethis
evening and paying tribute to the legacy
of Fred Rogers.And you
can continue to keepthat legacy
going and buildyour own community
, share theseresources
and these wonderful stories with your
own family and children.
And did you knowthere
were nearly 900 episodesof
Mister Rogers? So when
you give at that $10 a
month level, we'll send you
that four disc DVD set,
The Kindness Collection, again,
sharing all those wonderful, importantmessages
that Mister Rogers hasto share with
us. At $15 amonth, you
will get that fantastic sweater
color changing mug, which might go
home with me this evening,
and a book with these wonderfulreflections. Again
, they make such a wonderful gift.
There's something different every daythat we can
all think about. For $20 a month
, we'll send you that DVD set, the
mug, the book ,and the
DVD of tonight'sprogram.
So visit us online atPBS
Wisconsin. Org or give us acall
at (800) 236-3636.
>> PBS Wisconsin
has been serving Wisconsin for
more than 70 years. And
interestingly, Mister Rogers Neighborhood
was on for 33 years, almost half
of that time, which was aremarkable
run. And o
ver those seven years, we've changed.We've
grown, we've shifted ,we've we've become
something, I think, even richer
and better than we have been in
the past. We are part of the
fabric of what makes Wisconsin. And
that's largely because of theprograms
we do about Wisconsin ,whether they're
the regular programs like Wisconsin
Foodie and Here and Now, or
the special programs that we do,
like Wisconsin Scenic Treasures
or the Bucky program
that's coming up, or the Valve
Phillips program, whatever .There's a lot
of information
programs about Wisconsin. Youcan feel
proud to be from Wisconsin when you
watch and you are a supporter of
PBS Wisconsin, you can do
that now by calling
(800) 236-3636. Thank you very much
.
%
What an incredibly
movingdocumentary. Thank you for
joining us for it . Hi. I'm
David Hoffert, a volunteerhere at PBS
Wisconsin, andI want to debrief with
youa little bit about aboutwhat we
just saw. And
askyou to support public
television, PBS Wisconsin
in in continuing to
bringyou programs like
this. You know, think back for a
. Or if you weren't alive yet, think about
fora moment . When the Mister
Rogers program started was
1968. Think about theenvironment of that
time war,
political assassinations,
general societal
upheaval, you know ,parallel in a
lot of waysto the times we're living
through right now. And andwhat a
time to be a child.What a what
a what a scary time to be a
child. Andthen you had Fred Rogers
providing that calm, that
that presence, thatstability,
that comfort.What an
important gift that
was and continues to be tothis
day. And you can keepthat alive
with a gift of your own by
calling 1-800-236-3636.
>> And Mister
Rogers did bring that calm
and comfortinto living rooms
acrossthe country for decades,
and still continues to do
so. And you can help us
continue to bring programslike
this into homes allacross
Wisconsin. So whenyou make
a gift and you become a
sustainer at $10 amonth, we'll
gift you thatkindness collection, that
four DVD set that talks
about all of thoseimportant lessons
and allthe things that we
cancarry into generations tocome
. At $15 a
month, wewill send you
thiswonderful Daily Reflectionsbook
with some really greatinsights
from Fred Rogersalong with
this great mug .It's so
fun and special ,and anytime you
have it athand , not only are
youreminded of his wisdom,
butalso it might bring a smileto
your face. And then at$20
a month, we'll gift youthat DVD set
, the book, that sweet mug
, and the DVD of tonight's program
so youcan always visit us
onlineat pbswisconsin.org, orgive
us a call at
(800) 236-3636. >> Fred
Rogers helped children understand
that difficult
things. He often understand difficult things
by talking about them
andtreating them like people.
And, you know , it'sinteresting when
Reginatalks about this
beautifulday, that book, and youflip
through it, you realize you really
wasn'tjust talking to children.He was talking
to people ofany age. He's got a
lot ofreally wonderful things andideas that
he shared in a very direct
way. And that's really was the magic
, Ithink, of Fred Rogers and
the program he did for all
those many years. One way support the
program isby becoming a member of
PBSWisconsin, and
one way ofbecoming a member isbecoming
a sustainingmember. That means that
yougive a monthly
contribution.You decide how much youwant to
give per month, howyou want it
to be deliveredto the station through your
checking account or charge card, whatever, and how
long you want it to go on.You
control you're in the driver's seat when you
become a sustaining member ,but it's really
a wonderfuloption not only for
me, I'ma sustaining member
becauseit's kind of an automaticpilot.
I'm aware of it , butI don't have
to worry aboutit . And remember, have I
done this? It's done. It'sgood
. And it's a great thing to do.
What you cando now by calling
(800) 236-3636. >> So I
mentioned thatthere were some parallelsbetween
the days we're living through now
and thedays when Fred Rogers
started his program. Thereis also one
reallyimportant difference. Fred
Rogers was one of thepeople who went
to Congressand made the case for
public funding for public
media. And of course, asyou
know, as of this year,we no
longer have thatfunding. But th e mission
has not changed and thevalue
proposition has not changed. It
just means that we need even
more support from viewers like
you who,who , who receive
that value, who know what
this is about to call
in and make surethat that mission
can continue fully going
intothe future . Give us a
call 1-800-236-3636.
>> Viewers like you are the
heart of PBS Wisconsin and
what allow us to continueto
bring such wonderfulprograms into your living
room every day? And I'm notsure
if you know this , butas we enter
this season ofgiving and gratitude, you
have the ability to gift a
PBS membership to a l
ovedone. Or you could
potentially gift one ofthese
thank you gifts as well. So if
you're not a sustainer or if you'd
liketo gift a membership, youcan do
so. Starting at that$10 a
month level will gift you the Kindness Collection
,a wonderful four
disc DVD series
that covers allkinds of
different topics, like winning and losing
andHow to be a good friend
.And the $15
a month level will gift
you thiswonderful book of
365. Reflections is
again, justkind of
going through hereand learning all sorts of
new things. You can get the
color changing mug, which Ithink makes a perfect gift.
And then at that
$20 amonth level , you will gift
you the four disc DVD set,
the book, the mug, and the
DVD of tonight's program.
So visit us at
pbswisconsin.org or give us a call at
(800) 236-3636. >> The
last Mister Rogers
Neighborhood program aired in 2001.
But the legacy that
Mister Rogers Fred Rogers created
continues tobe felt in the
quality programs in some,
if youwill. I won't call themspinoffs
, but subsequentprograms that have carried
his legacy on into moderntimes
and legacies are
important, and you may befamiliar
with the conceptof legacy giving or
estateplanning. And PBS Wisconsin
has people who be more than
happy to talk to you aboutwhat the
options are. It'sone way you may not
be ableto give a great gift right
now, but perhaps in thefuture you can and you
caninclude PBS Wisconsin
inyour estate plan. And
it'sa wonderful thing to do.I've
done it. I'm a memberof the Heritage
Societybecause I want to
be surethat my impact is
stillfelt when I'm no longer
here. You can do that, oryou
can call and become amember right this
moment.Or both. You can do it
allby calling (800) 236-3636.
>> I mentioned in a
previous break that thatgifts of
any size are welcome and necessary
,right? If you can afford to
give $5 a month , that'sthat's great.
You mighteven say it's your
gift. Ilike just the way
it is.You see what I did
there?Okay, but but I also wantto
take a moment toacknowledge those who
whodo give more , who are able
to give more. And we havesome
, some designations for them, the leadership
circleand the director circle,folks
who can give $100 amonth or
or $250 a month
,and that's important too,right?
What makes PBSWisconsin
work is that
everyone, no matter whattheir means
, are contributing what they
canand saying this matters
tome. And
literally votingwith their dollars
becausebecause what's happeninghere is
important. And and yes, Fred Rogers
is is no longer making new episodes
,but so many children's
programs, so many adultprograms,
even even Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,
lly a spin off of
Mister Rogers, is coming to
and supporting children tothis day.
So please give us a call right now
. 1-800-236-3636.
>> Mister Rogers
Neighborhood was one of thefirst programs
to air nationwide on
publictelevision, then called
Net,or National EducationalTelevision,
which Idistinctly remember fromwhen I
was growing up as achild. I was
a little oldfor Fred Rogers. By the
time he came to net backthen
, but I do have vague
recollections of his program. I was in
highschool at the time. The important thing is that
public television has been
around for a very long time.
It's always depended onmultiple sources
of support,but most
critically on the support of individuals
, families, people just
likeyou, people like me who
support the station PBSWisconsin
financially by becoming a
member of PBSWisconsin.
You can do that tonight. You can do
it bygoing online. You can
do itby calling during the show
.If you're so moved to do
so,move to do that. Or you
cancall right now . If you call,the
number is always the same
(800) 236-3636.[MUSIC]
%
Hi, I'm David
Hoffert, a volunteer here at
PBSWisconsin, interrupting this program very
brieflyto ask you to make
a pledgeof financial support to
PBSWisconsin to supportprograms
like this by calling
1-800-236-3636. And I have to say
, if you want to
understand something deeply and
well, there isno
better way than a
KenBurns documentary, right?And
we've seen this time and time again at
thispoint over the years.
So soit may it may surprise you
.It may not surprise you and
yet still surprise you whenI tell
you that it tookliterally ten
years to
makethis documentary. Of course
,you're only seeing clips ofit tonight
, but if you're amember
of PBS Wisconsin, you've access to
PBSPassport. The entire thingis
there for you on demandten years
. Think about the investment required
toproduce a show like this.
And I mean, at this point,it's no
longer a leap of faith. You know, it's
goingto be amazing , but PBS isable
to make investmentslike that precisely because
viewers like you areproviding
the funding to doso. So now
is your chance to support that work
. Giveus a call
1-800-236-3636. >> Ten
years to make this documentary. It is
trulysuch a gift and such
atestament to the incrediblesupporters
of PBS and PBSWisconsin.
We are able tocontinue to
bring you this high quality programing
because of your continued
support. When you become
asustainer, it makes such
animpact on us locally and the
programs that we cancontinue to share
with you. So tonight, if
you're not asustainer , give us a call
and become one at $20 amonth.
We will give you thesix
disc DVD set of the
American Revolution. Or you
can also choose
the thebook about the AmericanRevolution
. It's an intimate history
created curated
by Ken Burns andhis team. So
if you'rereally diving into this and
enjoying every minute , thisbook is
for you. At $25
amonth, we'll give you the
DVD set as well as the book,
and then at $100 a month,
we'll give you the Ken
Burns DVD collection. So
lots and lots of greatprograming in there
. So ifyou are a Ken
Burns fan,now is the time to
call andcontinue to support this
incredible programing andand this
wonderfulcommunity here in PBSWisconsin.
So visit us online at
pbswisconsin.orgor give us a call
at (800) 236-3636.
>> Hi, I'm MichaelBridgeman, a volunteer
hereat PBS Wisconsin.
Thanks toyour support,
this documentary series that
KenBurns and his friends have
created for us will be yed
in living rooms and
classrooms across thecountry and
acrossWisconsin for years to come
.It's one of those programsthat has legs
, as we might say, it's high
quality.It's well worth
watching. You can watch
it all atonce . You can watch it
inparts. The point is, it's
very much a compellingprogram about
a compelling time in American history
.And if you're a member of
PBS Wisconsin, we have tothank you
for helpinghelping to make thispossible,
especially ifyou're a sustaining member.
That means you are givingevery
month to PBSWisconsin,
and you are telling
PBS Wisconsin, sure,I'll make
a commitment for as long as I
want, but Iwill make a commitment to
give money every month insupport of
the fine service that PBS Wisconsin
delivers. Things like
all the KenBurns programs
we'veenjoyed most recently andover
the decades. Do thatby
calling (800) 236-3636.
>> You know, there's
several interviews out at this point of
KenBurns and Sarah Botsteintalking
about the process of making this
documentary,and they often point out
how difficult it was to
doa documentary about theAmerican
Revolution forreasons that
we may notreally appreciate. Part of
it is that there's so much
national mythology tied up
in the story. We we allthink
we know about theAmerican Revolution
. Andhow do you how do
youchallenge some of thosepotential
misunderstandings in a way that
that thatpeople will appreciate?There's
also the fact thatthat there wasn't
photography back then, ? I mean, like
when Ithink of a Ken Burnsdocumentary
, I think ofthat kind of slow zoom
on aphotograph. Right. They
weren't able to do thathere. So
, I mean, there areso many
challenges uniqueto this story
that reallykind of had them push
, pushtheir own limits and theirown style
. But it was important. It was
importantto them to tell this
storyfor us to experience this
story. And they werewilling to do
the work. Andthat really is the
ethos ofof public television,
right?Doing the work
supported bythe public who appreciates
it. You can be part of that
public right now when youcall
1-800-236-3636. >> We
are surrounded by such an incredible
community here in Wisconsinthat
supports that supportsthis
station and allows usto be here
with you tonight. So when you give
us a calland make a gift,
you aremaking an impact and you'rehelping
your neighbors all across Wisconsin
here. Soat the $20 a
month level, we will gift
you the six DVD set of
the American Revolution or
thisincredible book , TheAmerican
Revolution An Intimate History.
As we mentioned before,
this bookwas curated
by Ken Burns.It's really
taking amagnifying glass to thisseries
and and allowing youto just
immerse yourself inall of
this fantasticinformation. So i f
you area Ken Burns fan
. This bookis for you. You need to
addit to your library so youcan
get that at that $20 amonth level. At $25 a
month,we'll get you the book and
the six set DVDs . And at
$100 a month, we will
giftyou the Ken Burns DVDcollection
, which includesseries
like the AmericanRevolution,
Civil War, Vietnam War,
and baseball.So if you haven't called
,if you're not a sustainer, help
us continue to bringthese programs.
Let's makePBS Wisconsin strongtogether
and give us a callat
(800) 236-3636. >>
PBS Wisconsin deliversprograms
wherever you are. There is,
of course, broadcast
television, andthat's one of the principalplaces
people still watch the programs of
PBSWisconsin. But if you have
a streaming device , there'san app
you can get , or ifyou
have access to the
webin any way , you can watch
live streams of PBS Wisconsin. You can
also getaccess to
PBS Passport, awhole library
full ofwonderful programs, some ofwhich
may be familiar to you because you've seen
them on PBS Wisconsin , but
many of which will probablynot be
familiar to you.There are a whole world
ofprograms, many of them fromcountries around
the world,that you'll find on PBS
Passport. That's one of thebenefits
of membership when you join at one
of oursuggested levels . The pointis
to show your support forthe
programs that you enjoyall the
time, no matterwhere you
enjoy them on theair,
streaming on an app ,whatever. The point
is tosupport public television,
support PBS Wisconsin
at (800) 236-3636.
>> So I talked a bit
abouthow how hard it was
to tomake this documentary
andthe challenges theyencountered,
but it's also no coincidence that
theydid this project at thistime
. Right? This, thisthis
program premiered inthe lead
up to the 250thanniversary of the
signingof the Declaration ofIndependence
. That's that's not a
coincidence. There is
milestones like that makeus
wonder. They make usreconsider
, right? And someof us maybe
haven't thoughtabout some of these storiessince
we learned them inschool. But
. But you have this yearning to make sure
u know the truth
and you know, sure,
I can Google it or or ask
ChatGPT and get ahalf
correct answer, but
there's no one I trust
moreto tell me the raw
, honest truth than
Ken Burns. And
then PBS Wisconsin , and I
don't have to. I don't haveto
do anything. I just turnon my television
. I look atairwaves , I make sure I
know when it's coming andit's there for
me, and youcan be there for us
whenyou call 1-800-236-3636.
Now back to the program.
%
Hi, I'm David
Hoffert, avolunteer here at PBSWisconsin
, and I hope you enjoyed that. Look
into KenBurns American Revolutionas
much as I did . And ifyou
did, I hope that youwill
call and make a pledgeof financial
support at 1-800-236-3636
to give you a little extra
incentive.This is a challenge
breakwhen you call during
thisbreak, your money
will be doubled by
generous contributions of
folks whowho want to
encourage new folks to step forward
andjoin them in this community
.That makes possible programs
like the Ken Burnsdocumentary that
we wereseeing clips from tonight.
This is a challenging timefor public media
. You areprobably aware that
federalfunding for public media
was removed this year, but
the mission goes on, and
PBS Wisconsin is not goinganywhere.
If anything, our resolve is stronger
and it relies
all the more onsupport from viewers
likeyou. So give us a callright
now. We're going for 15 calls during this
challenge. Drive 1-800-236-3636.
>> And it is
a challengebreak. So 15 calls
. You can help us make
PBS Wisconsin strong. When
you make your gift, you are
supportingprograms like the American
Revolution and other
fantastic shows
aboutWisconsin, like Michael was
saying earlier. So considermaking
a gift and becoming a sustainer. Tonight
at the$20 a month level
, we willgift you with the
American Revolution six
DVD set, orthe book
that really takesan intimate
look at thehistory of the American
Revolution. It's again
taking that magnifying glass and really
going intothe depths and learning
more about the American Revolution. Maybe there
wassomething you saw tonightand you thought
, I reallywould like to know more
about that. This book iswhat you
need at the $25 amonth level
, will gift you both the book and
the DVDset. And when you gift
us$100 a month, when you
become a sustainer at thatlevel, we
will give you the entire
eight series DVD set,which
includes the American Revolution, the Civil
War,baseball, National Parks,and country
music. So giveus
a call at (800) 236-3636.
>> Whether you're a
longtime member of PBSWisconsin
or this may bethe
first time you'll be joining us in support
, thisis a good time to do it
.We're here. We havevolunteers standing by to
waiting to take your call.So
it would be a wonderfultime to show
your supportfor PBS Wisconsin.
And oneof the best ways to do
thatis by becoming a sustainer.I'm
a sustaining member of
PBS Wisconsin. All it meansis
I've made a sustained
commitment to PBS Wisconsin by giving
monthly. Thatallows me
to budget mygiving to PBS Wisconsin
. Ido the same thing for some
other organizations, too ,so it benefits
me, but it also benefits
PBS Wisconsin. There's less paperwork
ed. The flow of funds
is more consistent , and ata
time like this, consistent money flow
is animportant thing for all
public media. So do thinkabout becoming a sustain
ingmember . If you are
alreadya sustainer, you can talkto
your operator about that .They can look up
how muchyou're giving and you canincrease
your gift. Eitherway , call
(800) 236-3636. >> You know
, PBS iscertainly not the only
channel on your dial whereyou'll see
a history documentary. It is the
onlyplace you'll see one quitelike
this. And I have Ihave a quote
here from KenBurns. None of this happensanywhere
else but PBS .Nobody else
is going to give us ten
years to build a history of
the revolution. No one.
The willingness to dive deep into this
, to beable to excavate stories.
Ilove that excavate storiesto
depend and rely onscholarship. And
it's it's that dedication
to quality and
accuracy that setsapart
PBS documentaries, but
also that is so
essential to us,
to thepublic discourse, to our understanding of the
worldand of each other. And you
only get that on PBSprecisely
because only
PBSis funded by viewers likeyou
. You are the
largestsource of funding for PBSWisconsin,
not one of you,all of
you collectively.And so
if you are not yetpart of that
group, or asMichael was just saying, if
you are but you but youfeel a
call to increaseyour support now during
achallenge break when yourmoney is doubled
, is thetime to do that. So give
usa call 1-800-236-3636.
>> And we're so grateful
for you spending yourevening with us
andenjoying this fantastic KenBurns
documentary. We areable to continue
to bringyou programs like thisbecause
of viewers like you,and
your support makes allthe difference
. So whetheryou're giving at that
$5 amonth level , or you'regiving it
the $100 a month level, every gift
makes animpact and allows us
tocontinue forward . So maybe
tonight is the night thatyou
decide you're going to become a sustainer.
Whenyou make a gift as a
$20 amonth sustainer , we'll sendyou
that six disc DVD set
of the American Revolution.
Or again, if that book
isreally what's striking you,we
can send you the bookinstead.
At the $25 a month
level, you will get both.So
you can take that deeperdive.
Some of the maps thatwere designed for
thisdocumentary are included inthat book
. So there's so many
intricacies and thingsfor you to check out
as youexplore that book. It alsomakes
a great gift. So ifthe person you're
sittingnext to wants to enjoy itas
well, you can scan thatQR code and
make your giftnow so you can reach
us at (800) 236-3636.
>> And if you
call andsupport PBS Wisconsin at
one of our suggested levels,one
of the additional benefits you'll receive is
"Airwaves" magazine. Itwill come
to you once a month through the length
ofyour membership, and it'sreally
a very useful guideto what's
on PBS Wisconsin. There's the fundamental
schedule information for
PBS Wisconsin, theWisconsin
Channel, andcreate all
three broadcast services that
PBS Wisconsin offers.
But there's also information about
specialprograms during the month
,some behind the scenes
information, and other newsabout what's
going on at PBS Wisconsin.
It's a nice benefit of your
support, so consider that, too,
whenyou call and pledge yoursupport
to PBS Wisconsin airwaves.
Good thing. Evenbetter,
the great shows that you enjoy
throughoutthe year here on PBSWisconsin
. And there's a whole environment
ofdocumentaries. I mean, Ken
Burns is certainly an ant
part of that. Hisdocumentaries are
legendary, if you
will, in public television and in
television in general. Butthere's plenty of
otherdocumentaries to nationaland
importantly, localdocumentary
programs thatwe do
here at PBS Wisconsin.
All worth your support. All worth
a call now to
(800) 236-3636. >> And
there's also moreKen
Burns documentaries. Regina was
telling youabout that , the $100 amonth
level, I think it waswhere you get
all the theexisting ones or a large
number of them . But, youknow
, you heard Ken Burnstalk about the
next fourprojects he's working on.
You know, a normal personwould say
, well, my nextone project, he had
four,right? At least what
crimeand punishment in America,
emancipation to Exodus,
Henry David Thoreau,
LBJand the Great Society. I
mean, this man doesn't rest,
which is good because thatit
broadens our horizonsthat much more. And
my askof you is that
you getinspired by
Ken Burns's work ethic and say
, youknow what ? I can be a
partof that. I can call andmake
a pledge right now ,get it doubled
at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Thanks so much to
everyone who has contributed this
evening.We're so grateful to haveyou
here with us. Remember ,this is still a
challengebreak and we have fivecalls right
now. So help us cross that finish line and
ntinue giving us a call.
Your support just makessuch an
impact. We'll go through those thank you
gifts just one more time.At $20
a month, we'll sendyou the American
Revolutionsix set DVD, or
we can sendyou that
fantastic book, The Intimate History
of theAmerican Revolution . At
$25a month, we will send
youboth that DVD set and thebook
, and at 100 dollars a
month, you will get theentire
Ken Burns DVD collection that
includesthe American Revolution,
Civil War, Vietnam,baseball,
and the Roosevelts. So
visit us atPBS Wisconsin
, or give us acall at
(800) 236-3636. >> The
outpouring of support for
public media has been a
bright spot inthese
otherwise verychallenging times with
theloss of federal funding,but
it's also an opportunity for you
as anindividual and for thecommunity
as a whole, toshow your
support for PBSWisconsin. If
you're not amember , you can become
amember very easily tonightby
calling one of ourvolunteers or
going online at
pbswisconsin.org. Ifyou're a
sustaining member, you can increase
the amountof your monthly support for
PBS Wisconsin. Do that with
a volunteer operator, oryou
can again, can do thatonline,
or you can thinkabout becoming
a leadershipdonor, whatever. Make
it an important commitment to
PBSWisconsin at (800) 236-3636.[MUSIC]