COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY TO BE NATIONALLY TELEVISED ON C-SPAN

For the third time in four years, Old Dominion University's commencement ceremony will be aired on national television when cable network C-SPAN visits the campus to cover the May 5 event.

C-SPAN will air footage of the commencement address by speaker Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," over the Memorial Day weekend as part of a special broadcast of commencement speeches.

Old Dominion's commencement first aired on C-SPAN in 1998 when actor, comedian and humanitarian Bill Cosby delivered the address, and again in 1999 when ABC White House correspondent Sam Donaldson spoke.

"There are a number ways that colleges and universities receive national exposure, but to have your commencement selected three times in the last four years for national broadcast speaks volumes about how others perceive the quality of your graduation ceremony and your speaker," said John R. Broderick, vice president for institutional advancement. "C-Span coverage also ensures our 70,000 graduates all across the country will have the opportunity to once again experience a truly special day in the life of the institution."

Known for providing live gavel-to-gavel proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, C-SPAN is viewed by an estimated 22 million people each week.