World’s to be streamed again by BBC

For the seventh straight year, pipes|drums has confirmed that most of the Grade 1 events from the World Pipe Band Championships will be broadcast live on the Internet, according to several sources close to the matter.

BBC Scotland has reportedly completed another licensing agreement with the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and Glasgow Life, the organizers of the August 14-15 event at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, that gives the public broadcaster the rights to the complex production that involves dozens of professionals, a multitude of high-definition cameras and a fleet of editing trucks on-site.

As in past years, the Grade 1 Qualifier events held in the main arena will go out live on Friday, August 14th, but without commentary, and the entire Grade 1 Final and prize-giving will be broadcast on Saturday, August 15th.

The BBC first broadcast the event in 2009, and since that time has returned to the comepttion annually. The first broadcasts were made available only within the United Kingdom, due to the broadcaster being funded by licenses paid by each British citizen. The broadcast has subsequently been made available to all with an Internet connection.

To broadcast or reproduce the event legally in any form, a series of licenses are required, and every performer, composer and arranger needs to agree to a compensation deal, assign their rights to another party, or formally waive their rights altogether. The terms of the licensing agreements have not been publicly divulged.