2007 80th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee (2007)

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts hosts live television coverage of the final championship rounds of "The 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee," live from Washington, DC. Preliminary championship rounds will air live earlier in the day on ESPN, which has televised the Bee in its entirety since 1994; the ESPN broadcast is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., ET. The Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation's largest and longest running educational promotion, is administered on a not-for-profit basis by Scripps and 280 local sponsors. The majority of local spelling bee sponsors are daily and weekly newspapers. The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to help students improve spelling, increase vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all of their lives. About 286 champion spellers, ranging in age from 9 to 15, will be competing this year for the National Spelling Bee Championship. Spellers participating in the national competition qualify by winning locally sponsored spelling bees in their home communities. The Scripps National Spelling Bee, which is held each year in Washington DC, will begin on Wednesday May 30, featuring top spellers from across the U.S. and including competitors from Europe, Guam, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, American Samoa, Canada and New Zealand. The opening rounds of the Bee on May 30 are not televised, but real-time results are provided via the Internet at the Bee's official website, Spellingbee.com.