LeVar Burton joins Scripps National Spelling Bee as host

By BEN NUCKOLS
Associated Press

LeVar Burton has been hired as host of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Burton gives the competition a celebrity headliner who’s also a longtime literacy advocate. His addition to the bee lineup comes as Scripps prepares to take over production of the telecast. Scripps has ended its longtime partnership with ESPN, which televised the bee from 1994 through this year. Burton starred on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and was the longtime host of the children’s educational program “Reading Rainbow.” He comes from a family of educators and says the bee represents “the inspirational, aspirational ideal of education.”