LAS VEGAS – The Miss America Pageant has been dropped by Country Music Television, leaving the 86-year-old competition without a TV outlet for the second time in three years.
The Viacom-owned network, which had rights to air the pageant through 2011, notified the Atlantic City, N.J.-based organization that it will not exercise its option to televise the contest “in 2008 and beyond,” the cable network said Thursday.
Pageant officials said they’ve begun the search for a new TV home.
“It’s been a very good two-year run,” said pageant head Art McMaster. “But we’re going to get out there and make the calls and see what the best offer is.”
The news is another blow to an American institution that has struggled to find a place in modern popular culture. After 50 years on network television, the pageant was dropped by ABC in 2004 when ratings fell to a record low. CMT picked up the pageant, moved it to Las Vegas from its home in Atlantic City and updated its look with reality-TV elements. The changes won a younger audience.
CMT executive vice president Brian Philips cited the network’s focus on original programming, not ratings, for the decision.
“As a network, CMT is now in a more aggressive position to build off of existing series and launch more original series and music-centric special events,” Philips said.
CMT has found success with its concert show “CMT Crossroads” and the reality show “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.”
The January crowning of Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson as “Miss America” drew 2.4 million viewers.
Rival pageant Miss USA, which doesn’t have a talent contest, isn’t having the same trouble.
NBC announced Thursday that it had renewed its contract with pageant co-owner Donald Trump and the Miss Universe Organization to broadcast the Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions until 2011.
About 7.4 million viewers tuned in for the crowning of Miss USA 2007 last week.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
