Pentagon Channel, Comcast Team to Air Service Academy Graduations

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2008 - The Pentagon Channel and cable company Comcast are teaming up to offer customers televised coverage of this year's graduation ceremonies at the service academies. "We appreciate Comcast's decision to carry the Pentagon Channel's coverage of the military service academy graduations," Brian Natwick, general manager of the Pentagon Channel, stated in a Comcast news release.

Featured coverage includes this year's graduation ceremonies at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Comcast digital cable customers throughout New Jersey, Delaware, southeastern and central Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., can access the programs through local video on demand.

The graduation ceremony broadcast schedule is as follows:

-- May 23: U.S. Naval Academy, featuring Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing the keynote address.

-- May 28: U.S. Air Force Academy, with President Bush providing the keynote address.

-- May 31: U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with the keynote address by Army Secretary Pete Geren.

The ceremonies will be available on video on demand within four days after the commencements through June 14, Comcast officials said.

Comcast's support, Natwick explained, helps the Pentagon Channel share "the excitement and traditions of academy graduations with our military servicemembers and their families."

Comcast customers can access "Graduations on Demand" by tuning to Channel 1 on their digital cable lineup or by pressing the "On Demand" button on their remote control, then clicking on the "Get Local" category, followed by the "Academy Graduations" folder.

"Offering military graduations on demand underscores Comcast's commitment to supporting the thousands of servicemembers and their families throughout our footprint," said Michael Doyle, president of Comcast's eastern division and founder of CN8, The Comcast Network. "We are pleased to partner with the Pentagon Channel to offer this relevant programming to our customers that Comcast is uniquely qualified to deliver."

The service academy commencement ceremonies aren't the only upcoming graduations that families and friends can see even if they're unable to attend. Hundreds of U.S. troops deployed from Europe in support of the global war on terrorism will be able to watch their children's high school graduation ceremonies via live webcasts. Department of Defense Dependents Schools Europe, U.S. Army Europe and U.S. Army 5th Signal Command are combining assets and talent to enable the live webcasts for deployed parents of graduating high school seniors.