Italian state broadcaster ditches Miss Italy contest
Italy’s equivalent of the BBC, RAI, has announced it is to drop its coverage of the annual Miss Italy pageant, provoking a fresh debate in the Mediterranean nation as to whether the contest is sexist and outdated.
Originating in 1939 the contest has provided a springboard for the careers of many women, notably Sophia Lauren, and has been broadcast continuously by the station since 1987.
The move has split opinion in the country with some, such as the speaker of the lower house of parliament Laura Boldrini, who said: “Italian girls should be able to go on television without parading with a number. They have other talents.”
Supporters have rallied to the institutions defence however, branding the decision as excessive political correctness.
Event organiser Patrizia Mirigliani said: “Our contest is part of Italy’s history and it is not by chance that many former Miss Italy’s work for RAI where they are neither nude nor mute.”