The Oscars will not be aired in Hong Kong for the first time in 52 years. The move came after China reportedly ordered local media to cancel live broadcasts of the awards and downplay coverage of the event.

TVB, the city’s dominant free-to-air broadcaster, has dropped the live broadcast of the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place on April 26. “It was purely a commercial decision that we decided not to pursue the Oscars this year,” a TVB spokesperson told AFP.

Other broadcasters NowTV, ViuTV, Cable TV or Open TV did not obtain broadcasting rights of the show.

The cause of China’s ban of the awards is thought to be the nomination of “Do Not Split,” a short documentary on the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Chinese-born U.S. filmmaker Chloe Zhao, who is nominated for Best Director, has also stirred controversy in mainland China for her critical comments made in an interview in 2013. References to her film, Nomadland, have since been censored from the Chinese internet after it won her the Golden Globe for best director.

China’s state media CCTV, which has broadcasted the Oscar ceremonies in previous years, has yet to confirm if this year’s event will be aired.

Better Days, directed by Derek Tsang – son of TVB’s deputy general manager, is also shortlisted for Best International Feature Film.

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