Public Television

For the first time in about seven years, McDonald's is no longer a corporate sponsor of the venerable kids' show, a relationship that activists have long derided given the program's commitment to promoting healthy eating as childhood obesity rates soar.

It should be a year of celebration on Sesame Street. With First Lady Michelle Obama kicking off the season for the show's 40th anniversary next Tuesday, the program has no shortage or accomplishments to smile about. Sesame Street has won more than a hundred Emmys, and a handful of its staffers have...