NBC & Televisa Drop Beauty Pageants Over Donald Trump Remarks

UNIVERSAL CITY/MEXICO CITY: Backlash over Donald Trump’s recent comments about Mexican immigrants continues to grow, with both NBC and Mexico’s Televisa dumping the beauty pageants the business magnate produces.

NBC additionally reaffirmed that Trump would not return to host the long-running reality game show The Apprentice, though it took pains to state it would continue its relationship with Mark Burnett’s United Artists Media Group, which licenses the title.

The peacock network, which has broadcast Miss USA since 2003, was due to air the latest pageant in July. It has also dropped Miss Universe, another joint venture with Trump.

In prepared remarks, NBC listed “recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants” as its reason for severing ties with the businessman. Earlier this month, Trump announced his presidential bid by stating he would raise a wall along the U.S. border to keep out Mexican “rapists” and drug dealers.

Grupo Televisa in Mexico has also joined the fray, saying in a strongly worded statement that it too will no longer air the Miss Universe competition.

“Days after his unfortunate statement, Mr. Trump, far from reconsidering [his remarks], continued to attack migrants and any media that criticized him,” said the company. “Televisa is not indifferent to these statements and strongly rejects all forms of discrimination, racism or xenophobia…. Mr. Trump has not shown understanding and respect for Mexican migrants and has offended the entire Mexican population.”

Finally, Mexican sources said that Ora TV—a production company founded by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and TV host Larry King, and funded by the telecommunications giant América Móvil—has canceled a program it was developing alongside one of Trump's companies.

“Those statements are out of place… Honestly, we don't think collaborating with someone so closed-off is going to work,” said Slim's spokesman Arturo Elías, adding that Trump's comments were racist.

All these actions follow a similar move by Univision in the U.S. last week, which also dropped the Miss USA event ahead of its broadcast.