GM ends 'Survivor' sponsorship but says new racial twist not the cause
UPI News Service, 08/30/2006
General Motors is pulling its advertisements from CBS's "Survivor" for the upcoming season, saying that the action is not related to show's new format.
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GM was one of the first sponsors for the hit reality show when it debuted but a spokesperson for the automaker said on Wednesday the decision to stop advertising was made about three months ago and isn't related to the format of next season's competition, TVweek.com reported.
CBS and "Survivor" creator Mark Burnett have drawn controversy since last week's announcement that the show's upcoming "Survivor: Cook Islands" edition will pit four tribes of different races against one another.
GM said that the company decided to pull its advertising from "Survivor" because sponsoring the show no longer fit the company's business objectives. It's too difficult to try and integrate an automobile into a program that's set on an island, the spokesperson said, adding, "It's been a great relationship with the show."
