The CBS hit reality show announced that, for its 13th season, the network is willing to go further and to explore a new dimension, by dividing the four competing tribes according to the contestants' race. Thus, the finalists were selected and classified in one of the four groups: black, white, Asian and Hispanic.

But Councilman John Liu says that this division is simply 'preposterous' and that it will serve to further accentuate the existent gaps in between races, while stressing more today's stereotypes. He claims that he cannot understand the lengths to which the network is willing to go to just to get a higher audience rating and that he plans to get support from other influent public figures and to boycott the show.

Liu asked CBS to pull the show off the air or, if not, at least not to go by that formula for its coming season, scheduled to begin on September 14. Today, he and other officials (all minority members) will rally at the City Hall to convince people that racism on a televised show should never be tolerated, no matter under which form it appears.

The network fought back Liu's statement, by saying that 'Survivor' does not wish to aim at accentuating said racial gaps, considering that the competition for the $1 million prize is fair and, also, that the long-running show has always solved every controversial aspect on air. 'CBS fully recognizes the controversial nature of this format but has full confidence in the producers and their ability to produce the program in a responsible manner. "Survivor" is a program that is no stranger to controversy and has always answered its critics on the screen', the official statement said.