Comment from Frank
Time: August 21, 2007, 4:07 pm

I think the following comment in the article, may have something to do with it.
“TVE has not ruled out showing live bullfights again, but a spokesman said bidding wars among Spanish broadcasters for the biggest and best festivals put these out of their price range” The lesser events don’t generate the necessary viewing figures, and they can’t afford the big events. Also seems odd to me, the “watershed” time of 8 o’clock, do they seriously believe Spanish children stop watching TV at 8 o’clock and go to bed!

Comment from Stephen
Time: August 21, 2007, 5:10 pm

You can see bullfighting on TVE’s sister channel TVEinternational. I think the Broadcasting Standards Council must be unaware what violence it has been possible to see at teatime in UK living rooms.

Whenever I’ve watched a bit I side with the bulls. Is that sick? Personally I think there is a cowardly element to bullfighting. If a bull was a bit more intelligent the contest would not be possible. The whole thing relies on the bull not heading straight for the man rather than the bandera.

Comment from Edith
Time: August 21, 2007, 11:11 pm

I always switch to Animal Planet whenever there’s a bullfight on.

Comment from ValenciaSon
Time: August 22, 2007, 12:42 pm

Hopefully this is the begining of the end for this bloodsport.

Comment from Tormento
Time: August 22, 2007, 2:11 pm

It was about time. I wouldn’t be able to count how many times cartoons when cancelled in my day (when there were only 2 channels, la primera y la segunda or VHF and UHF because of bullfighting.

Comment from parubin
Time: August 23, 2007, 9:26 am

@ Valenciason :
I think this has little to do with the decline of bullfighting in Spain. As it has been explained above I think it has more to do with the price range that private tv channels are willing to pay for the best festivals, which is more that the budget of TVE (state-owned) could afford. The same has happened with football (World Cups, UEFA Champions League), Formula One or other big sporting events. Bids from private TVs are too high to be matched for the national bugdet.

I like bullfighting myself (I’m not the biggest fan or even a great expert) but I really enjoy the atmosphere, the depth of the feelings and the master skills -when it’s well done, if you can get into it, it happens to be pure magic-.

I usually like to attend a couple of bullfights each summer, but I never wacht it on TV (it’s not the same and I even hardly turn on the TV for any other reason). I would say that bullfighting is in good shape in Spain : The main festivals are sold-outs and the price of the tickets on the rise (well above 100 € for a decent seat on a decent festival -that’s more than 135 $ right now-).

It is a show (or form of art, some would say) that doesn´t appeal to everyone, even in Spain it raises controversy. I would be foolish for bullfighting fans to overlook the bloody side of the whole thing, as it is foolish for bullfighting detractors only point out the gory side of it without even attempting to understand the show.

I understand both views and I am kind of in between. Among the many inward contradictions that I have to live with, one of them is the fact that I really get moved and deeply touched by good performance, but at the same time I understand the blunt brutality towards the animal.

Comment from Ed
Time: August 29, 2007, 10:19 pm

“Hopefully this is the begining of the end for this bloodsport.”

Hopefully, although that’s very unlikely to happen. There’s still a huge, huge number un Spaniards who support bullfighting no matter what, they do love it.

As a Spaniard myself it’s simply shameful. How can bullfighting still be legal? I mean, would they do the same to a dog?