Sesame Street actors plead for funding

[March 16, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The stars of Sesame Street -- the real people -- are on Capitol Hill helping unions and activist groups protest proposed federal spending cuts to public broadcasting.

Emilio Delgado (Luis), Roscoe Orman (Gordon) and Bob McGrath (Bob) lamented the effect the cuts could have on educational television like Sesame Street. The actors, along with fellow Sesame Street stars Alan Muraoka (Alan) and Alison Bartlett O'Reilly (Gina) appeared as members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The actors were helping to deliver petitions asking the Senate to fully fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for Sesame Street and other programming. The House has voted to end spending that totaled about $420 million last year.

[Associated Press]

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