After funding cuts, PBS children's programming soldiers on with 'Phoebe & Jay'

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Paula Kerger of PBS wants viewers to know: “We’re still here and we are even more resolved to do great work.”As the president and chief executive officer of the network, she has seen it endure a barrage of cuts by the current presidential administration, which eliminated funding to the Corp.for Public Broadcasting, the organization that administered funds to PBS TV affiliates and NPR radio stations, leading to its dissolution.

Additionally, last May, the Department of Education abruptly canceled the Ready to Learn initiative.This funding, which had been renewed every five years since 1995, focused on creating educational media and resources for children ages 2 through 8.

In particular, the initiative aimed to reach low-income children.“Half the kids in this country are not enrolled in any kind of formal Pre-K,” Kerger says.“And the Department of Education has always felt that we were an important partner in producing content very much focused on the needs of kids.

Particularly those kids that, unless there is some intervention, will be far behind the kids that have access to lots of other educational resources.”In each five-year grant cycle, Ready to Learn helped fund the development of two to three new shows, allowing PBS to launch at least one new children’s show a year.Over the years, the Ready to Learn initiative has funded beloved PBS Kids programs including “Odd Squad,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” “Arthur,” “Sesame Street, “Super Why,” “Molly of Denali” and “Lyla in the Loop.” “Molly of Denali” and “Sesame Street” were among the shows that had been funded by the Ready to Learn initiative.

(PBS Kids) (Zach Hyman / Associated Press) Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, PBS Kids and Education, says the sudden cancellation of the Ready to Learn funding resulted in a $20-million annual loss that led to i...