John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ censored by UAE broadcaster over reference to Khashoggi killing

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Dubai-based television network broadcasting across the Mideast cut substantial portions of an episode of the satiric news program “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” over references to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince being implicated in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The decision by OSN highlights the limits on speech in both the United Arab Emirates as well as neighboring Saudi Arabia. It also highlights how sensitive Khashoggi’s killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul remains over five years later. The “Last Week Tonight” episode, which aired Oct. 22, focused primarily on the New York-based management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., which has worked with Saudi Arabia in recent years under Prince Mohammed.