An opera performer, right, prepares before showing on stage during the 2015 China Central Television New Year's Gala, also known as the Spring Festival Gala, in Beijing, Feb 18. [Photo/IC]

It certainly is embarrassing to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

Each year, its devoted censors make every effort to ensure the planet's most-watched TV show at the lunar New Year's Eve, broadcast live by China Central Television, stays politically correct.

It may sound unfair to the show's producers. They no doubt tried their best to fulfill the impossible mission of entertaining viewers of every taste, while guaranteeing that every intended message is conveyed, properly.

There have already been angry retorts received that an unnecessary fuss is being made.

For many of the show's reportedly 690-million-or-so audience, a program like this is all about being happy, and funny.

The Administration may pretend no protest has been heard. CCTV may shrug off the request for an apology. Fans may continue to disparage the whistleblowers for being unfunny.

Yet, unpopular as they may be, the naysayers have brought up a topic that should not be swept under the carpet in a country that calls itself civilized, and which aspires to flaunt its soft power globally.

As their critics say, 25 people are negligible in a crowd of 690 million. But the letter those 25 have jointly signed protesting at the undisguised discrimination in the high-profile show, should put our nation of 1.3 billion to shame.