Million Muppet March planned

HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Supporters of "Sesame Street" said they will march on Washington to protest GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's plan to cut public broadcasting funding.

Chris Mecham, a writer and student at Boise State University in Idaho, and Michael Bellavia, president of Animax Entertainment in Los Angeles, independently made plans for a Million Muppet March. They joined forces to organize the march, scheduled for Nov. 3 at the National Mall, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.

The march protests a pledge Romney made in his Oct. 3 debate with President Barack Obama to cut funding for the Public Broadcasting Service, even though he said he liked the 8-foot-2 primrose-yellow Big Bird character from "Sesame Street."

"The ultimate mission is to show support for public media and public broadcasting," Bellavia said.

Mecham said he hopes the march will draw "everyone from the young families with kids who understand the value of PBS kids television programming, to retirees -- the generation of citizens that built America's public broadcasting network and who know its value to democracy and to national security."