ABC drops Miss America, leaving TV future uncertain

[Kadie]

ABC drops Miss America, leaving TV future uncertain
JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, October 20, 2004


(10-20) 13:09 PDT ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) --

ABC has dropped Miss America, leaving the famous beauty pageant without a network TV outlet for the first time in 50 years.

The network, which had carried the annual telecast since 1997 with a series of one-year contracts, notified Miss America Organization officials that they will not pick up the option this year, acting President and CEO Arthur McMaster said Wednesday.

"We are now free to pursue other parties who have expressed interest in our organization, and we are excited at the limitless opportunities that are now available for us to grow our brand," he said.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/20/financial1516EDT0248.DTL&type=entertainment

[NC_Nurse]

1. My that is tragic...

:eyes:

[Phillycat]

2. Couldn't happen to a more exploitative pageant...

[napi21]

3. I haven't watched that in years! I used to a long time ago, but no more.

I know this sounds kinda dumb, but something changed when Bert Parks left the pagent. I'm sure if there was a big audience, ABC would have renewed it. TS, im my opinion. I sure won't miss it!

[CO Liberal]

4. I Guess It'll move to Spike TV or Lifetime.....

[acmavm]

5. Sounds like tv is in real trouble if it's future is uncertain because ABC

dropped the Miss America Pageant, at least according to the headline.

Is Miss America really that important? Or are somebody's writing skills a little, shall we say, iffy?

<sarcasm of>

[DrZeeLit]

6. Well, 50 years was their limit on bad taste...

....which actually doesn't (or does it?) account for the rest of their programming...

Take a walk down the runway... and wave... GOODBYE...

[CO Liberal]

8. Actually, It Jumped The Shark The Year They Fired Bert Parks

IMHO.


Source: http://www.imvamp.com/

[DrZeeLit]

11. GREAT pict!

Where did you find that?
I love it...
I must say, my grandmother (rip) let me stay up late and watch when I was little. Thank goodness I never aspired to any of that... just another night of mediocre theatre.

Today... I do not have t.v.
Free at last, free at last!

[CO Liberal]

12. I Did a Google Search...

and that picture came up. If you right-click on the picture, you'll see the path to it.

[PNsC]

7. Good riddance

that's all!

[Downtown Hound]

9. Well, looks like brain dead Republican bimbos

will have to find another network to be on to preach the value of the Iraq War.

[mr_hat]

10. Ouch! That'll leave a bruise.

[Taverner]

13. Personally, and I will take flame for this but...

I think Miss America is not exploitave as it is out of touch. I mean, lets face it, the show celebrates one thing and one thing only, physical beauty as determined by our cultural standards. Nothing wrong with that. However, for it to masquerade as a "talent" show is complete BS.

The show should just be honest, update itself and retool itself along the lines of the Miss Fitness USA pageants and what not. Beauty today, is by and large determined in the gym and the antiquated standards need to be scrapped.