{"id":1117,"date":"2013-12-20T05:02:03","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T05:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1117"},"modified":"2014-12-23T17:04:38","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T17:04:38","slug":"josie-carey-and-wqeds-childrens-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/12\/20\/josie-carey-and-wqeds-childrens-corner\/","title":{"rendered":"Josie Carey and WQED\u2019s Children\u2019s Corner"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"In <\/a>
In 1957, Carey chats with Linda Koelher, 3, and Jerry Coechel, 6. (Pittsburgh Press photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Carey <\/a>
Carey decorating a Christmas tree in 1959. (Pittsburgh Press photo) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Carey <\/a>
Carey on the WQED set in an undated picture. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Josie <\/a>
Josie Carey in June 1992. (Post-Gazette photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Josie <\/a>
Josie Carey and Fred Rogers with Easter decorations in 1956. (Pittsburgh Press photo) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

If you were a child in Pittsburgh during the 1950s and watched Channel 13 on a black-and-white television, you probably got to know Josie Carey, the warm, giggly host of \u00a0\u201cThe Children\u2019s Corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

At ease in front of the camera, she was a multi-talented television pioneer whose accomplishments included author, songwriter and entertainer. Fred Rogers, who later became the star of \u201cMister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood,\u201d wrote music for her lyrics.<\/p>\n

Together, this young duo wrote 68 songs as well as the episodes for the successful show, which aired on public television station WQED from 1954 to 1961. In 1955, \u201cThe Children\u2019s Corner\u201d received a national Sylvania Television award that honored its high quality in educational programming for young viewers.<\/p>\n

Born in Butler, Pa., Josie Carey began life as Josephine Vicari; her parents ran an Italian restaurant. After learning secretarial skills at Duff\u2019s College in Downtown Pittsburgh, she landed a job at the nation\u2019s first public television station six months before WQED went on the air in 1953. The station offered programs about history, painting, remedial reading and how to write in shorthand.<\/p>\n

Josie Carey did not start out in the studio. Instead, she served as secretary to WQED\u2019s first manager, Dorothy Daniels. One of Josie\u2019s tasks was to obtain local funding for the nascent TV station. She went door to door soliciting $2 and giving subscribers a program guide. Then, Dorothy Daniels shortened her name and put her in front of a camera.<\/p>\n

In 1961, Josie Carey was hired to create children\u2019s programming for KDKA, a local commercial television station where she wrote \u201cFunsville,\u201d \u201cJosie\u2019s Storyland\u201d and \u201cMr. Wrinkle.\u201d<\/p>\n

A television station in South Carolina lured her from Pittsburgh to produce a children\u2019s program called \u201cWheee!\u201d One of the most famous interns from that show was a fellow named Rick Sebak, who has produced many successful documentaries for WQED.<\/p>\n

After Mrs. Carey returned to Pittsburgh, she lived in Squirrel Hill. During the mid-1990s, she created a Saturday morning show for children called \u201cJosie\u2019s Attic\u201d that aired on WQEX. She died in 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you were a child in Pittsburgh during the 1950s and watched Channel 13 on a black-and-white television, you probably got to know Josie Carey.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesJosie Carey and WQED\u2019s Children\u2019s Corner<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1066],"tags":[1034,1035],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/tumblr_my2dsfmBUy1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=869%2C864&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7322,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/03\/28\/on-the-set-of-mister-rogers-neighborhood-in-1971\/","url_meta":{"origin":1117,"position":0},"title":"On the set of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” in 1971","date":"March 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\"He was the most present and genuine person I\u2019ve ever met.\"","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Digs.MisterRogers013.jpg?fit=1200%2C771&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2011,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/02\/27\/fred-rogers-and-his-puppet-detente\/","url_meta":{"origin":1117,"position":1},"title":"Fred Rogers and his puppet detente","date":"February 27, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Once known as \u201cthe nicest person on television,\u201d Mr. Rogers touched millions of lives.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/tumblr_miuxobJxYM1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C924&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8869,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2018\/06\/19\/ricki-wertz-on-tv-metoo-and-leaving-pittsburgh\/","url_meta":{"origin":1117,"position":2},"title":"Ricki Wertz on TV, #MeToo, and leaving Pittsburgh","date":"June 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"One day early in her television career, Ricki Wertz was knocked over by a stranger on her way to the bank. \u201cHe grabbed me and picked me up and and put me on the step and said, \u2018Sorry, Rick, I\u2019m in a hurry,\u2019\u201d Ms. Wertz recalls. 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