The Eurovision organizer banned a Chinese video streaming platform from broadcasting the final of the famous song contest, after the latter censored a gay couple and an artist with tattoos on their hands from the semifinals.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced yesterday, Thursday, the termination of its contract with Mango TV, thus preventing the Chinese streaming video platform from broadcasting the second semifinal and final. The final will be held tomorrow, Saturday in Lisbon.
The semifinal was broadcast on Wednesday on the Chinese platform. However, without the interpretation of the Albanian singer Eugen Buspepa, who had tattoos on his hands, nor that of the Irish singer who included a romantic dance between two male dancers that presented the relationship between two gays.
MangoTV, which has exclusive broadcasting rights to the Eurovision Song Contest for China, also had blurry rainbow flags, a traditional symbol of the LGBT movement (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans people).
"This is not in line with the values of the EBU's universality and open society, nor with our long tradition of celebrating diversity through music," said the organizers of the 63rd Song Contest.
MangoTV could not be reached for comment.
Homosexuality is becoming more and more accepted in Chinese society, especially among young people living in urban areas. However, the subject remains almost taboo in movies and TV series. And any "homosexual" program is prohibited from being broadcast on streaming video sites.
Eurovision is a popular television program in the gay community and rainbow flags are often seen waving next to those of competing countries.
The performance of the Irish singer Ryan O'Soney, which was censored by the Chinese network, was the first to present on stage a gay couple in the 63 years of the institution. The artist told the British network BBC that the decision to cut off all relations with MangoTV is "really important", as from the beginning we are talking only about love. It does not matter if it exists between two men, two women or between a man and a woman ".
