By Michael Klein
Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

The Miss America Organization, jilted by broadcast television, announced a deal yesterday with Nashville-based cable channel Country Music Television to hold at least the next two pageants on undetermined dates in January. CMT has an option to show the pageant through 2011.

And if the prospect of a parade on the Boardwalk in the dead of winter seems chilling, officials said it was not a given that the pageant would remain at the Jersey Shore, its home since 1921.

The news release announcing the deal did not mention Atlantic City as the show’s venue. Convention officials contacted yesterday seemed to know nothing about the deal with CMT, part of Viacom-owned MTV Networks.

Pageant chief executive officer Art McMaster “has a lot to discuss with our friends in Atlantic City,” said pageant spokeswoman Jenni Glenn.

Susan Riccardi — director of media relations for the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, which pays some of the pageant’s production costs—said its board and the Miss America board planned to meet soon. Calls to six pageant board members were not returned.

No date had been announced for this year’s Miss America pageant, leaving state winners and pageants in the dark.

September would not work for this year’s pageant, said Lisa Chader, a CMT spokeswoman. “We couldn’t do it justice if we were going to [televise] it this year because we have to advertise and promote it. January is the best place to put it. It’s not much more calculated than that.”

CMT promised a multimillion-dollar promotional campaign, including programming on Viacom’s MTV and VH1 channels and a presence on CMT’s popular Web site, www.cmt.com.

The pageant, which pumps millions of dollars into the Shore economy, has weathered attempts to move it from Atlantic City, particularly in the 1990s as TV ratings sagged.

Glenn said the deal with CMT was “such a good fit to reach younger demographics.” Broadcasting & Cable, a trade publication, said CMT averaged 253,000 total viewers during prime time in May. The network reaches 77 million homes and is a hit in the heartland.

The Miss America show on Sept. 18 drew 9.8 million viewers to ABC, the smallest audience ever and 500,000 fewer than in 2003. ABC dumped Miss A a month later. TV exposure drives Miss A’s scholarship program, which last year awarded more than $45 million.

The rights to last year’s pageant were believed to be worth $5.6 million. It was not known how much

CMT will pay the pageant.

In a statement McMaster said: “Miss America’s move to cable will give it the proper promotion and attention it deserves. Our brand is rich in both philanthropy and history, and this new multiplatform partnership not only will preserve this institution, but in fact build the Miss America Organization as we begin this new chapter.”

The January pageant still will crown “Miss America 2006.” Since state pageants crown contestants from May through July, the extra months will allow them more time to prepare, Glenn said.
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The picture that accompanied this story showed Miss New Jersey, with bunches of artificial flowers strapped to her wrists and waist, flashing a huge smile underneath a floppy green hat. She was in the middle of her talent presentation. I can't wait.

Let's face it. The 'Miss America Pageant' was, and is, a beauty contest. They've tried to mask that fact by emphasizing the 'scholarship' aspect of the show, thus eliminating dumb but pretty girls from participating. And the scholarly 'personal question' the finalists had to answer to see how the girls handled themselves; amazing how many future brain surgeons and sources of 'world peace' there were. All this while their Chicklet-sized teeth were coated with vaseline (makes it easier to smile constantly) and their backside coated with Pam (keeps the swimsuit from riding up; having a wedgee on national TV wouldn't do).

In the good old days, there was the talent competition. My favorite. There was always the girl who played 'Lady Of Spain' on the accordian with a pained smile on her lips (those eighth notes have to hurt) And a baton twirler or two. And a dramatic reading (I'll never forget the girl who announced she would read from "Da Tree Muskateeas" by Aleksander Dumb-[censored])(rhymes with 'fast'). And a soprano who hit notes previously unknown to mankind.

The Parade of States was pretty good too. That's where each girl wore a costume she made representing her state. California and Hawaii had it made. I always felt sorry for Wisconsin. I mean, how can you make a ball of cheese original and flattering?

Ah yes...the good old days. How I'll miss them.