Will Reading Rainbow Survive?
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Reading Rainbow Gains New Support
By Linda Reynolds

 

They say there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but it's poorly placed to benefit the producers of Reading Rainbow. They need funding now to prevent the Rainbow's end. Fortunately, a plea by series host LeVar Burton at the 2003 Daytime Emmys prompted a groundswell of support.

Fans of the show began inundating the producers with e-mail when they learned the series was financially troubled. Many of those who sent messages were 20- and 30-year-olds who grew up watching Reading Rainbow.

"We used to be able to watch this at school," said Heather Truett of Alabama, mother of a 16-month-old son and a three-year-old stepdaughter. "It was always a good day when the TV was rolled into the classroom."

Series creator and executive producer Twila Liggett said they've also heard from people "who don't watch the show anymore, but they just want to know that it's there." Some were former viewers who now run their own companies or who are decision-makers for their employers, and they wanted to know what they could do to help.

Laughing in reference to Burton's request for a wealthy philanthropist to give him a call, Liggett said she's "been working frantically behind the scenes. That's more my style. Who knows me anyway?" She was engaged in funding discussions with PBS at the time the Emmys were broadcast in May, and PBS has since pledged $2 million over the next two years.

However, Burton pointed out that $2 million is the smallest amount PBS has given to Reading Rainbow in the show's 20-year history.* He suggested that PBS may have shifted toward children's programming that can generate revenue through licensing and merchandising agreements. Liggett didn't disagree but said that today's economy also makes it harder to get funding now than when Reading Rainbow began 20 years ago.

In addition to the outpouring of support from viewers, The Children's Place announced its commitment to Reading Rainbow as part of its ReadingUSA campaign. The company is a leading retailer of children's clothing and accessories, with more than 670 stores in the United States and Canada." This is great news for us," Liggett said. "However, to achieve long-term stability for Reading Rainbow, we are still seeking other corporate partnerships."

Reading Rainbow is a production of GPN/Nebraska ETV Network and WNED-TV Buffalo, and is produced by RCN Entertainment, New York. Reading Rainbow is a registered trademark of GPN/WNED-TV. ReadingUSA is a registered trademark of The Children's Place.
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*Calling All Donors: Q&A with Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton by Divya Mani, 7/18/2003, OnPhilanthropy.com -- http://www.onphilanthropy.com/prof_inter/pi2003-07-18.html

 

Linda Reynolds edits the Family Entertainment section of Busy Parents Online. As the mother of three, she seeks to support the highest-quality entertainment available and to help fellow parents make informed choices for their families.