The American public seems to be supporting a change to metric inrecent years. For example, a federal law requires all productpackaging in the United States to include both metric weight andnon-metric weight. Mister Butcher says about five-hundred Americancompanies now support a proposal that would change the law socompanies would not have to provide the non-metric weight on thepackage. Only the metric weight would appear on the package. He alsosays that most American states support this idea, too.
Mister Butcher says his office has provided American schools withmaterials to teach the metric system for many years. He says thiseffort is now showing results as young American business leaders areseeking to change to the metric system.
Sesame Street Anniversary
(MUSIC: “Sunny Days”/Sesame Street Theme)
HOST:
Do you recognize this music? Weare not surprised! The children’s television show “Sesame Street” isbroadcast in more than one-hundred-twenty countries. “Sesame Street”began its thirty-fifth year earlier this month. Gwen Outen tellsabout the show and plays some its many famous songs.
ANNCR:
In the late nineteen-sixties, Joan Ganz Cooney was dissatisfiedwith American television programs for young children. She wanted tomake them educational and fun. She especially hoped to reach poorchildren. Mizz Cooney and officials from the Carnegie Corporationset up the Children’s Television Workshop. They developed “SesameStreet” with the help of Jim Henson. He created the famous puppetson “Sesame Street.” They are called the Muppets. One of the earliestand most popular Muppets is Kermit the Frog. Here Kermit sings asong about the color of his skin. It is called “Bein’ Green.”
(MUSIC)
Humans also live on “Sesame Street.” Bob McGrath has lived on thestreet since its beginning. He plays a music teacher. Here Bob singsthe popular song “People in Your Neighborhood.”
(MUSIC)
In the late nineteen-eighties, a furry red monster puppet namedElmo arrived on “Sesame Street.” He has since become a huge star. Weleave you now with Elmo and some of his Muppet friends singing”Elmo’s Song.”
(MUSIC)
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson.
I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC. Join us again next week forVOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
This program was written by Nancy Steinbach, Paul Thompson andCaty Weaver. Paul Thompson was the producer. And our engineer wasTom Verba.