MPBN to televise hoop tourney

    BANGOR — Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) is scheduled to begin its 29th annual broadcast of the Maine Principal’s Association Invitational High School Basketball Tournament featuring courtside action from the Bangor Auditorium.
    Coverage will start on Wednesday, Feb. 20 and run through Saturday, March 1.
    Annual tournament coverage is a long-standing tradition at MPBN. The first tournament games were broadcast in 1979 to allow many fans who cannot attend the games in person the opportunity to see their hometown teams, relatives and neighbors compete for championship titles.
    Every three years, the Maine Principal’s Association solicits bids from Maine television stations for the right to broadcast the games; MPBN has secured the rights through 2008. To broadcast the games, close to 50 production personnel work as talent, producers, directors, camera operators, graph and audio operators and cable pullers  for 44 boys and girls tournament games over the course of six days. Games played at the Augusta Civic Center and Cumberland County Civic Center will also broadcast. The broadcast is made possible by support from MPBN members along with a series of corporate underwriters.
    MPBN is also making available DVD copies of individual games. For more information, call (800) 884-1717.
    For a schedule of tournament coverage, visit www.mpbn.net/basketball.