This is hidden brain.
I'm Shankar Vedantam.
Many years ago, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was on the chopping block.
President Richard Nixon wanted to radically slash its proposed budget.
Supporters of CPB, as it's known, took their case to a congressional hearing.
Today, the committee begins hearings on S 1242.
They argued that $20 million was a small amount to pay for the many educational and entertainment television programs that the public broadcaster would generate.
The 20 million is so small.
In hour after hour of testimony, advocates argued that funding public broadcasting was good for America and good for America's children in education.
A number of scientific studies pointed to the fact that America may be literally many important government hearings and other public activities.
The head of the congressional committee, Senator John Pastore of Rhode island, had a reputation for being tough minded and impatient.
All right, now will you answer my question?
Had you not done this?
After a deluge of data and declarations had been presented to his committee, a famous children's television host took the stage.
His name was Fred Rogers.
All right, Rogers, you got the floor.
He talked about what his program meant to America's children.
I end the program by saying, you've made this day a special day by just your being you.
The children's television host asked the senator if he could recite the words to a song from his program.
It was about self esteem, self control and emotional regulation.