The Book Closes on PBS's "Reading Rainbow"

And another part of childhood has ended. PBS's long-running series, "Reading Rainbow" ended its 26-year run on Friday, due to lack of funding. The show was the third-longest running children's program in public television history, behind "Sesame Street" and "Mister Roger's Neighborhood."

According to John Grant, head of content at the "Rainbow's" home TV station, the cancellation is due to the recession. He stipulated that no one was willing to spend several hundred dollars to renew the show's broadcasting rights.

The show had stopped production of new episodes in 2006 because of the decrease in viewership. Not only will the broadcast version of the show be gone, but its website on pbskids.org will also shut down in December.

"Reading Rainbow" first began in 1983 and was hosted by LeVar Burton, also known as Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries "Roots." He stayed with the show throughout its run. Each episode of the series would begin with a children's book, which Burton would then turn into an adventure. The episode also contained kids' review of other books.

It was the winner of a Peabody Award and twenty-six Emmy Awards.

Source: New York Daily News