At the end of October 2011, I was asked to make a statement at a US Senate hearing on The Value of Public Media in Education. While 170 million Americans watch, listen to or use the services & programming of public service media each month, the importance of federal funding is clear, regardless of party affiliation. Federal funding for PBS is on the chopping block yet again. Here’s my speech from 2011 about how it has affected my life and so many more!

I am Angela Santomero.

I am a Mom.

I am the creator of quality educational media.

I am a dreamer.

I am a teacher.

I am the result of PBS.

The first official meeting of the CPB board was held on April 26, 1968 – the day I was born.

The Mister Rogers Neighborhood PBS program debuted and my mother put me in front of the television set, at 3 months old, in my infant seat.  Halfway into the program she said to my Dad, “I know she’s learning.  I’m not sure what, but I can see her learning.”

I did learn.

Because of Mister Rogers I learned that I was special.  I learned that someone liked me just the way I was.  I learned what to do with the mad that I feel.  I learned to be respected for my feelings.  I learned that someone out there understood me, a child, in this world of adults.

My brother was born when I was 14.  I was fascinated by him.  My first real child development case study.  I watched him as a preschooler, kick at the television set because of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  It was at that moment that I knew.I knew I wanted to positively harness that power of tv and give back to children what Mister Rogers gave to me.  Enough bombardment, to use Freds words, we needed smart shows for kids that understood and respected them.  In 8th grade I was given an assignment to write a paper on a person who I admired.  I wrote about Fred Rogers.  I learned that he had a child development degree and a vision for how television could be used to educate.

I grew up and followed in Fred Rogers footsteps.  I have a masters degree in child developmental psychology with a concentration on instructional technology and media from Teachers College, Columbia University.  I studied how children learn and how they learn from media.

My vision was to create the very best educational curriculum and put it on television with a show that millions of kids will want to watch and benefit from. PBS made this happen.

I wanted to be a teacher by harnessing the power of television.  I co-created Blue’s Clues in 1995 with a kindergarten readiness curriculum and in 2007 created Super Why for PBS with a  reading curriculum based on the skills the National Reading Panel deem critical.  Longitudinal studies of both shows, independently, proved that kids who watch the programs score better on standardized tests that kids who do not watch. Because of the opportunity given to me by PBS, kids are not only learning to read from Super Why, but loving the POWER to read.

I now have the great honor of working with the Fred Rogers Company creating Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, using Fred Roger’s socio emotional curriculum as the foundation.  Early research with teachers had them saying, “This is what kids need today.  They need to see expressions of love, of care, of trust.  Of time spent on a child’s feelings and their view of the world.”

I believe it is imperative to give children strategies to help them deal with anger, disappointment, how to cooperate and share.

Mantras to show love and to celebrate the wonder of being a child.  I believe in the whole child and teaching them how to think constructively and not what to think.  I believe in respecting children, empowering them, challenging them and loving them.  And I won’t rest until our shows are the most watched television shows that teach children the fundamentals of being the best they can be.

In a world that is so full of “bombardment” we need public television to be the light that leads the way for our next generation to grow with the belief in themselves, in who they are, what they feel, to learn empathy, understanding and to care.

Fred Rogers’ vision and insight into the magic of childhood is a national treasure for tens of millions of us children, because he used media and technology to reach into the homes and lives of kids nationally and not locally.  To quote Fred, “you are the only one like you. ”  If all kids grow up knowing and believing that, even if only through television, then we have done our job at PBS.

I am what happens when you continue to support PBS.

I am that little girl who absorbed these wonderful messages, good educational curriculum and was given a role model through television.
Fred Rogers on PBS inspired me and millions like me.

And I hope to inspire at least one more “me” to change the world.  One preschool show at a time.

If you are able, please consider signing the Parents Together Action petition to save PBS. Thank you!!

This year at Kidscreen Summit I feel like I’m back in Kansas! I’ve seen so many familiar faces from my travels within the kids entertainment biz. This year the summit is taking place down south in Miami, FL.

Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. In 2015, the conference welcomed just over 1,700 attendees from 54 countries.

On Thursday, February 11 at 2:15 pm, I’ll be stepping away from Final Draft and jumping into game mode for Kidscreen’s 20th Anniversary Trivia Challenge!

Who else should host The Trivia Challenge, but none other than my friend, David Kleeman. He will test players from the industry, as well as myself, quizzing them on the past couple decades of industry news.

Joining me up on stage will be Daniel Bays (Creator, Writer & Showrunner BBC), Andrew Kavanagh (CEO & Founder Kavaleer Productions), Flavio Medeiros (Director of Programming & Acquisitions Discovery Kids Latin America), Adina Pitt VP, Content Acquisitions & Co-Productions Cartoon Network) and Dave Skwarczek (Executive Producer Eat Your Lunch).

Kidscreen’s 20th Anniversary Trivia Challenge promises to be a fun and tidbit filled session, so come on over if you’re attending Kidscreen in Miami!

“Don’t leave #kss16 without coming to this! You could be on our audience team & compete for free KSS17 registration!” –@davidkleeman

“How Do You Make a Hit Children’s Show?” is the question I typically hear from parents, students, artists and writers as I meet them for the first time. While everyone’s got their own system to create educational media for children, I shared mine this week at The 4th Annual International Children’s Media Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, via live stream.

I was excited to journey outside my typical neighborhood with this project because a key to a better tomorrow lies within the education and happiness of children, on a global scale.

During the talk, I mentioned the importance of understanding one’s vision and the necessity of creating aspirational characters. Using Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Super Why!, Creative Galaxy & Wishenpoof as tangible examples of how I implemented such features, I explained their characters’ development and how each show’s curriculum helped to enhance their stories. I typically allude to the secret sauce and timing when discussing my projects, which are both imperative to a “Hit Children’s Show”.

 Special thanks to Hatice Şehime ÖZÜTLER (TRT Çocuk) for inviting me to share, amidst an educated panel, for this special project.

Many parents are concerned about the enormous media content their children are exposed to. And while the number of avenues that deliver these various messages is increasing, there are just as many contradicting opinions on all of this content.

How can a parent properly assess it all, so that their children can consume age appropriate material that’s conducive to their growth?

WQED launched iQ: smartparent in response to a research study made up of parents expressing a desire to build their confidence with educational, 21st century media & expand their capacity for co-learning with their digitally savvy children. Through a series of 6 hour-long broadcasts & numerous online resources, iQ: smartparent equips parents & caregivers with tools & resources to aid their understanding and use of digital media & technologies for learning.

Thursday, June 27th, I will be hosting iQ: smartparent “Tune In, Tune Out” in the Fred Rogers’ Studios.

Do your children believe everything they see on TV? How does your child learn to separate fiction from reality? This episode will empower families with skills & techniques which will assist in evaluating media while identifying ways that it can positively impact their lives.

I will be speaking with Board Certified Family Physician, Deborah Gilboa MD (@AskDocG), educational psychologist & children’s TV producer Alice Wilder (@alicewilder), Emmy®-award winning music producer, Emmai Alaquiva (@Emmai_Alaquiva) and behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp., Steven Martino.

If you are interested in attending the “Tune In, Tune Out” live taping in Pittsburgh, PA on Thursday, June 27, 2013 from 6:30-8 PM (EDT) please visit iQsmartparent4’s eventbrite page. iQ smartparent’s “Tune In, Tune Out” episode premieres: August 29, 8:00pm

iQ: smartparent is brought to you by WQED Multimedia with generous support from an anonymous donor & expertise from Common Sense Media.

“We are thrilled to welcome Angela Santomero to the iQ: smartparent series. She offers the sensitivity, advice, and media savvy to help any parent make great decisions about how 21 century media impacts a child. As a parent and TV creator she lives it every day.”

-Jennifer Stancil – WQED Executive Director of Educational Partnerships

I’ll be speaking at “Shaping the Children’s Media Landscape: In the ‘Thinking Chair’ “with Educator, Researcher & Friend, Alice Wilder at Teacher College’s Academic Festival 2013

Teacher’s College- Columbia University’s signature homecoming event anchors this year-long series of 125th anniversary events on campus, bringing together alumni, students & friends of Teacher’s College for a day of learning, engaging & celebrating. Take part in interactive sessions that will explore some of the many trails we have blazed, as well as the cutting-edge work that keeps us at the forefront of change and innovation.

schedule of events

As a writer for kids television, every so often I hear “I’ve got THE idea for a kid’s show!”

Perhaps a tad more than every so often..perhaps.

While the concept is crucial in developing any new property, it’s the follow through on all of the intricate components that brings it all together.

And where can we immerse ourselves within the diverse styles of animation, production know-how, distribution rights, the evolution of digital media, the nail-biting pitch process, brand development and the dreaded B-word..budget, to list just a few?  The Kidscreen Summit.

Regarded as the biggest Kids’ Entertainment Event, the Kidscreen Summit takes place this year in NYC on  Feb 5-8th

For those preschool writer’s out there, you’ll want to check out “Inside the Writer’s Room: Preschool” at Kidscreen. Moderated by Joe D’Ambrosia (VP Original Programming Disney Junior), I’ll be on the panel with preschool writers Joseph Mazzarino, Adam Peltzman, Josh Selig & Craig Shemin speaking about keeping the CREATIVE front & center, while consistently bringing quality content to our viewers.

See you there!

After many years in development, TODAY’s the BIG premiere! This clip is taken from PBS’ Annual Meeting 2012 where I discuss the new show, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Enjoy the show!

Footage taken by TechSavvyMama1

I spoke at BlogHer 2012, Keeping Things Private in a Public, Digital World, with NY Times moderator Jennifer Preston and fellow panelists Lynne Seitz & Vicky Colf (Warner Bros) about the ongoing changes in regulations & privacy agreements that leave the end user confused and vulnerable. While there are all types of informative ways to help protect oneself in the online world, I came out of the BlogHer conference with 5 main points top of mind:

•  Turn OFF geo tagging (or geo location) on your phone’s camera app settings – unless you choose to allow the public to know your private details which are embedded within those shared pictures

• Try not to share with everyone – only selected users (i.e. semi-personal information with your friends..not friends of friends)

• DO NOT simply rely on a company’s privacy plan because they constantly change. Stay updated & change your perspective as these terms of service change.

• Think more than twice about allowing apps to share each others data. While you may trust Facebook or Twitter, those cute lil’ 3rd parties rarely have the same privacy terms

• READ those terms of privacy..you’ll be very surprised at what they’re having you agree to.

This past weekend I attended the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Los Angeles, CA. I had the pleasure of speaking on the PBS panel with Bill Isler, president of The Fred Rogers Company, and Joanne Rogers, Chairman of the Board – The Fred Rogers Company. I had briefly addressed some commonly asked questions, regarding Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS Kids), and am sharing a few of them below. Enjoy

What made Fred Rogers a pioneer in children’s entertainment? How is his trademark approach evident in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?

Fred Rogers has been both an inspiration and a major career influence for me. In effect, he created a blueprint for children’s television that works. And, with this new show, we embraced the great level of respect that Fred had for children, the way he communicated with them, his gentler pace and his “interactive” inclusion of his young “neighbors” at home.

Are there elements of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?  How is the new series fresh and different?

There are nostalgic nods of “love” to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood throughout each episode of the new show. The characters are the children of the beloved puppets from Fred’s Neighborhood of Make-Believe and our series star, Daniel Tiger, is the son of Daniel Striped Tiger, Fred’s first puppet.

Like Fred, Daniel wears a red sweater and sneakers and speaks directly to preschoolers to include them in his day. Fred’s music can be heard, in some cases as cover songs, and in others as inspiration for new musical strategies.

How have Fred Rogers’ groundbreaking concepts been updated to appeal to a whole new generation of young viewers and their parents?

Fred’s curriculum is timeless.  But our approach to his curriculum was planned with today’s preschoolers in mind because we wanted to make sure that we were reaching them most effectively in terms of appeal and learning.

Why choose animation instead of live action?

We wanted to animate the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to put a unique spin on the “neighborhood” with this new series. Plus, animation allows us to make our stories visual – for example, we can let viewers peek inside Daniel’s colorful imagination.

How did you develop the characters for the show?

Although the characters were initially based on the puppets in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, our goal was to give them a multi-dimensional feel so they’re true to the personalities of preschoolers.

What role does music play in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and why do you think using song-based strategies is so effective?

Music is an integral tool for learning in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Our musical strategies are unique and catchy.  Parents and children will be singing them all day long! For preschool viewers, music propels the curriculum forward, ensuring that they truly understand why a particular strategy was needed and how it helped our characters.

Recent research shows that early development of solid social and emotional skills leads to success later in life.  How did this help inform the creation of the show?

Pro-social values have been shown by numerous studies to be imperative to later social and academic success for children. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood helps hone the skills that prepare young viewers to be optimal learners in kindergarten and beyond. Encouraging children’s self-confidence, combined with the ability to regulate their impulses and appreciate adult guidance, gives them the solid foundation they need going forward.

How can Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood be a useful tool for parents and preschoolers beyond the television screen?

Some moms and dads who have previewed the show have called it “A user’s guide for today’s parent!” We’re finding that parents and caregivers are writing down our strategies and using them when they need to encourage their kids to be patient, when they’re nervous about a new experience or when they’re disappointed. We hope to have a useful strategy for every situation a parent could find themselves in!