Mr. Rogers and the VCR

Mr. Rogers was a good man. Not only did his Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television show entertained and educated children in North America, but the man himself was also a great advocate for the use of media by the general public, beyond the control of its creators. Mr. Rogers provided key testimony at the US Supreme Court, in support of the VCR, which was widely objected to by the entertainment industry, as they saw it as infringing on their copyright. His testimony was acknowledged by the Supreme Court decision in a footnote:

Some public stations, as well as commercial stations, program the "Neighborhood" at hours when some children cannot use it ... I have always felt that with the advent of all of this new technology that allows people to tape the "Neighborhood" off-the-air, and I'm speaking for the "Neighborhood" because that's what I produce, that they then become much more active in the programming of their family's television life. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been "You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions." Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important.

What a concept. The entertainment industry, MPAA and RIAA especially, could learn something from Mr. Rogers.