New "Survivor" to Divide Tribes by Race

[kurth]

New `Survivor' to Divide Tribes by Race
Associated Press

The new season of "Survivor" will be a race among races. At the start of the reality show's 13th edition, "Survivor: Cook Islands," 20 contestants will be organized into four tribes divided along ethnic lines - black, white, Hispanic and Asian, CBS announced Wednesday.

The tribes, as usual, will merge later in the season, which debuts Sept. 14, the network said.

Jeff Probst, host of the show, said the network was worried the racial divide might offend viewers. "It's very risky because you're bringing up a topic that is a hot button," Probst told asap, The Associated Press service for younger readers. "There's a history of segregation you can't ignore. It is part of our history." "For that, it's much safer to say, `No, let's just stick with things the way they are. Let's don't be the network to rock the boat. Let's not have "Survivor" try something new,'" he said. "But the biases from home can't affect you. This is an equal opportunity game."

Probst said he and the "Survivor" producers wanted to bring more ethnic diversity to the competition...

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/08/23/ap2968565.html