New rules mean violence to animals cannot be shown before 10pm watershed to protect children, broadcaster says

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

Spain's state broadcaster, TVE, has banned live bullfighting from its schedule, angering matadors and bullfighting fans who are already smarting over a ban in the eastern region of Catalonia.

The broadcaster has decided bullfighting contravenes its code of conduct for programmes before Spain's 10pm watershed hour, when children are no longer expected to be in front of the television.

Most bullfights start at 6pm or 7pm, and the TVE director general, Alberto Oliart, said that meant they fall into children's viewing hours – when violence to animals cannot be shown.

"TVE will not show bullfights because of the time they take place, which mostly coincides with the time of day when there is special protection for children," the broadcaster's new style guide states.

Furious fans accused the broadcaster of shunning a key part of Spanish popular culture. "This means that TVE, which belongs to us all, will deprive us of something that over the centuries has formed part of the cultural patrimony of many Spaniards, both of the political right and the left," columnist Andrés Amorós wrote in the conservative ABC daily.

TVE said it was not turning its back entirely on what is known in Spain as "the national fiesta" and is covered by newspapers in their arts pages.

"We are not indifferent to the importance of the bullfighting world or to its social and cultural influence," the broadcaster said. It will maintain late night television and radio programmes devoted to bullfighting and pledges to cover the issues surrounding it.

The broadcaster will also continue to provide live coverage of the San Fermin bull runs in Pamplona, where half a dozen fighting bulls are run along a half a mile course through the city's streets every morning for eight days in July.

The early evening bullfights at which the same bulls are killed will not, however, be broadcast on state television.

TVE stopped regular live broadcasts of the major bullfighting festivals from Madrid, Seville and elsewhere four years ago, claiming it had been priced out of the market by private broadcasters.

The Catalan regional parliament voted in July to ban bullfights as of next year.

Broadcasters owned by regional governments in Madrid and elsewhere will continue to provide live corridas. State broadcasts of bullfights were allegedly used at times of political tension by the Francisco Franco to stop demonstrators taking to the streets.