Budi Irawan

Cox Communications and C-SPAN Networks are joining forces to bring the “Campaign in the Commonwealth Tour” to the region. On Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach and on Wednesday, September 24, at Menchville High School in Newport News, Cox and C-SPAN will host the events. In partnership with C-SPAN, Cox’s “Campaign in the Commonwealth Tour” will provide high school upperclassmen at Landstown and Menchville with the opportunity to debate the platforms of Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Students will also participate in a mock presidential election and tour the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus. See below for detailed schedule of events.

“With 2008 being a major election year, Cox wants to engage area youth in the electoral process and encourage them to voice their opinions. And we are excited to be part of the educational process with this partnership with C- SPAN,” said Gary McCollum, Senior Vice President and General Manager. Mr. McCollum will also moderate the debate.

The C-SPAN Campaign Bus, a 45-foot mobile production studio, is on the campaign trail to promote and enhance C-SPAN’s comprehensive political coverage, traveling to major political events such as the recent Democratic and Republicans conventions and upcoming presidential debates. Look for C- SPAN’s political coverage on the C-SPAN networks, C-SPAN Radio, c-span.org, or the one-stop 2008 election Web site, CampaignNetwork.org.

“With historic levels of interest in the 2008 campaign — especially among the youth vote — we are eager to hear from Virginia students about the issues important to them,” said Erin Patton, C-SPAN marketing representative. “We look forward to welcoming students, teachers, elected officials and Virginia residents aboard the C-SPAN Campaign Bus!”

Schedule of Activities

Landstown High School
2001 Concert Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
9 a.m.: Program begins:
-Mock Debate
-Mock Election
10:00 a.m. – Noon: C-SPAN Campaign Bus tours begin

Menchville High School
275 Menchville Rd, Newport News, VA 23602
8:30 a.m. Program begins:
-Mock Debate
-Mock Election
10:00 a.m. – Noon: C-SPAN Campaign Bus tours begin

In addition to the C-SPAN partnership, Cox also will provide special programming dedicated to the 2008 election season to include the following:

– Plugged In, hosted by Gary McCollum, is filming an hour-long episode titled “Future Voters,” which features teens discussing the upcoming political process and the impact the election is having on their generation. The show will run through Election Day.
– Cox Connections “Voting Special,” hosted by Gary McCollum, will feature a panel of guests discussing what voters need to know when they go to the ballot box in November. The special will air in October.
– In cooperation with Cox Media, Cox 11 is gearing up to present a public service announcement featuring young people encouraging citizens to make their voice count by voting. The footage will include students from the Urban League Academy.
– Coverage of C-SPAN’s Campaign 2008 Bus visit to local high schools, which includes a production of a four-minute news magazine, will run on the Cox in the Community program and On Demand.
– Broadcast on October 25 and through November 4, of the “Clash of the Titans” political debate entitled “Election 2008: Which Party is Best Suited to Lead America.” The debate is brought to viewers through a partnership with Regent University and features Donna Brazile, Political Commentator and Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute; Rick Santorum, Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania; Geraldine Ferraro, Former U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic candidate for Vice President in 1984; Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes, Inc.; Alan Colmes, Co-host of Hannity & Colmes and host of the Alan Colmes Show; Mike Huckabee, Former Governor of Arkansas and Rep. Candidate for President in 2008.

For more information, contact Felicia Blow at felicia.blow@cox.com.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with 6.2 million total residential and commercial customers. The third-largest cable television company in the United States, Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business is a full- service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates the Travel Channel. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com

About C-SPAN

C-SPAN, the political network of record, was created in 1979 by America’s cable companies as a public service. C-SPAN is currently available in 91 million households, C-SPAN2 in 84 million households, and C-SPAN3 in more than 15 million households nationwide. For more information about C-SPAN, visit or our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/campaign2008bus

Source: Cox Communications