Spanish TV pulls plug on bullfighting

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Spain's public broadcaster will no longer show live bullfighting because it is too violent for children, AFP reported.

The decision was another body blow for the centuries-old sport.

Radio Television Espanola (RTVE), Spain's largest broadcasting group, said it "will not broadcast bullfighting because timetables do not generally correspond with those reserved for young audiences."

Bullfighting presents "images that should be avoided for children. Children may view with distress violence exerted on animals and for this we should avoided them at all costs," it said.

RTVE management said "is not indifferent to the importance of the world of bullfighting", and would continue to "reflect issues" concerning bullfighting in its programming.

The decision comes after the northern region of Catalonia last year became the first part of mainland Spain to ban bullfighting, AFP reported.