Editing Fred Rogers (section)

===Other work and appearances===
[[File:Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, 1969.ogv|thumb|left|Rogers testified before the [[Senate Subcommittee on Communications]], chaired by [[John Pastore]], on May 1, 1969. As part of his testimony, he recites the lyrics to "[[What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel?]]"]]
In 1969, Rogers testified before the [[U.S. Senate]] Subcommittee on Communications, which was chaired by Democratic Senator [[John Pastore]] of Rhode Island. U.S. President [[Lyndon Johnson]] had proposed a $20 million bill for the creation of PBS before he left office, but his successor, [[Richard Nixon]], wanted to cut the funding to $10 million.<ref name="frankmsnbc">{{cite news |last=Frank |first=Steve |title=Mr. Rogers offers timeless defense of PBS funding…in 1969 |url=http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/mr |access-date=November 13, 2019 |work=MSNBC.com |date=September 6, 2013 |archive-date=November 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113183811/http://www.msnbc.com/the-ed-show/mr |url-status=live }}</ref> Even though Rogers was not yet nationally known, he was chosen to testify because of his ability to make persuasive arguments and to connect emotionally with his audience. The clip of Rogers' testimony, which was televised and has since been viewed by millions of people on the internet, helped to secure funding for PBS for many years afterward.<ref>King, pp. 170–171.</ref><ref>King, p. 176.</ref> According to King, Rogers' testimony was "considered one of the most powerful pieces of testimony ever offered before Congress, and one of the most powerful pieces of video presentation ever filmed".<ref name="king-172">King, p. 172.</ref> It brought Pastore to tears and also, according to King, has been studied by public relations experts and academics.<ref name="king-172"/> Congressional funding for PBS increased from $9 million to $22 million.<ref name="frankmsnbc"/> In 1970, Nixon appointed Rogers as chair of the [[White House Conference on Children and Youth]].<ref>King, p. 175.</ref>

[[File:Fred Rogers and Willie Stargell.jpg|thumb|upright|Rogers and [[Willie Stargell]] in 1980]]
In 1978, while on hiatus from ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', Rogers wrote, produced, and hosted a 30-minute interview program for adults on PBS called ''[[Old Friends ... New Friends|Old Friends{{nbsp}}... New Friends]]''.<ref name="newneighborhood">{{cite news |last=Neuhaus |first=Cable |title=Fred Rogers Moves into a New Neighborhood—and So Does His Rebellious Son |url=https://people.com/archive/fred-rogers-moves-into-a-new-neighborhood-and-so-does-his-rebellious-son-vol-9-no-19/ |access-date=May 25, 2019 |work=People |date=May 15, 1978 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105162501/https://people.com/archive/fred-rogers-moves-into-a-new-neighborhood-and-so-does-his-rebellious-son-vol-9-no-19/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>King, p. 230.</ref> It lasted 20 episodes. Rogers' guests included [[Hoagy Carmichael]], [[Helen Hayes]], [[Milton Berle]], [[Lorin Hollander]], poet [[Robert Frost]]'s daughter Lesley, and [[Willie Stargell]].<ref name="newneighborhood"/><ref>King, p. 233.</ref>

In September 1987, Rogers visited Moscow to appear as the first guest on the long-running Soviet children's TV show ''[[Good Night, Little Ones!]]'' with host [[Tatyana Vedeneyeva]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mesce |first=Deborah |title=Beautiful Day For Mr. Rogers And Soviet Counterpart |url=https://apnews.com/2fd550e6546cf0745419821966f207f2 |access-date=June 10, 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=November 20, 1987 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105163828/https://apnews.com/2fd550e6546cf0745419821966f207f2 |url-status=live }}</ref> The appearance was broadcast in the Soviet Union on December 7, coinciding with the [[Washington Summit (1987)|Washington Summit]] meeting between Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ogintz |first=Eileen |title=Neighborhood Hero |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-03-06-8804050228-story.html |access-date=May 25, 2019 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 6, 1988 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105162501/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-03-06-8804050228-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Vedeneyeva visited the set of ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' in November. Her visit was taped and later aired in March 1988 as part of Rogers' program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brennan |first=Patricia |title='Neighborhood' Detente |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1988/03/06/neighborhood-detente/7d383212-b74d-4d0b-bc38-2dee4689ea11/ |access-date=June 10, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 6, 1988 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611003138/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/1988/03/06/neighborhood-detente/7d383212-b74d-4d0b-bc38-2dee4689ea11/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1994, Rogers wrote, produced, and hosted a special for PBS called ''Fred Rogers' Heroes'', which featured interviews and portraits of four people from across the country who were having a positive impact on children and education.<ref>King, p. 232.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Scott |title='Mr. Rogers' Heroes' Looks at Who's Helping America's Children |url=https://apnews.com/97b26c623a7b246ce802492b7be046dd |access-date=May 25, 2019 |work=AP News |agency=Associated Press |date=September 2, 1994 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105163807/https://apnews.com/97b26c623a7b246ce802492b7be046dd |url-status=live }}</ref> The first time Rogers appeared on television as an actor, and not himself, was in a 1996 episode of ''[[Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman]]'', playing a preacher.<ref name="DeFranceso"/>

Rogers gave "scores of interviews".<ref name="king-326">King, p. 326.</ref> Though reluctant to appear on television talk shows, he would usually "charm the host with his quick wit and ability to ad-lib on a moment's notice".<ref>King (2018), p. 308.</ref> Rogers was "one of the country's most sought-after commencement speakers",<ref name="ntyobit"/> making over 150 speeches.<ref name="king-326"/> His friend and colleague David Newell reported that Rogers would "agonize over a speech",<ref>King (2018), p. 326.</ref> and King reported that Rogers was at his least guarded during his speeches, which were about children, television, education, his view of the world, how to make the world a better place, and his quest for self-knowledge. His tone was quiet and informal but "commanded attention".<ref name="king-326"/> In many speeches, including the ones he made accepting a [[24th Daytime Emmy Awards|Lifetime Achievement Emmy]] in 1997,<ref name="tomjunod"/> for his induction into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999,<ref name="ntyobit"/> and his final commencement speech at Dartmouth College in 2002, he instructed his audiences to remain silent and think for a moment about someone who had a good influence on them.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Fred Rogers |url=https://www.misterrogers.org/about-fred-rogers/ |website=Mister Rogers.org |publisher=The Fred Rogers Company |access-date=July 30, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105162448/https://www.misterrogers.org/about-fred-rogers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>