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Sad day: "Reading Rainbow" goes off the air

After 26 years, PBS viewers will no longer be able to tune in to LeVar Burton reading them a story. New episodes haven't been produced since 2006, but the contract with PBS officially expires today and will not be renewed. At fault, according to this NPR piece, is a lack of funding driven by the Bush Administration's placing priority on programming that emphasized basic skills:

"'Reading Rainbow' taught kids why to read," [station manager John] Grant says. "You know, the love of reading — [the show] encouraged kids to pick up a book and to read."

In other words, what Wormbook Enterprises tries to do every day. Take my word for it: The Youth Of Today are worse off.

This clip of Run DMC's appearance on the show (ca. 1986) is jumpy and staticky, but must have been my first ever exposure to rap: