China Hit With Eurovision Ban After Gay Censorship

The European Broadcasting Union, the EBU, is terminating its contract with China's second biggest broadcaster, Mango TV, after the channel censored the Irish Eurovision Song Contest entry this year over its depiction of a gay relationship.

The BBC quoted the EBU as saying that Mango TV's censorship of two performances during its live transmission of the first semi-final on Wednesday was not in line with its values of celebrating diversity.

Mango TV did not show the entry from Ireland, which featured a romantic dance sequence by two men, when it aired a semi-final of the show on Wednesday, and it also censored the heavily tattooed Albanian singer Eugent Bushpepa.

The broadcaster also blurred out rainbow flags in the audience associated with the LGBT movement.

Contestants from 19 countries took part in the first semi-final of the competition being hosted by Lisbon, Portugal, ahead of Saturday's final.

LGBT culture remains taboo in China's entertainment industry where same-sex relationships are banned from television screens and gay content has been forbidden at times on online streaming platforms.

With its high kitsch content, Eurovision has long been popular with gay fans, and rainbow flags representing gay rights are a common sight at the finales alongside those of participating nations.

The omissions from Wednesday's broadcast were not explained. Representatives from Mango TV, with exclusive rights to telecast the show in China, could not be reached for comment.

China's media watchdog in January banned tattoos and other "decadent" subculture elements from broadcasts, as it cracks down on what it sees as behaviour contrary to the ruling Communist Party's "values and morals". (AFP)