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• The Miss America Pageant is a nationwide scholarship competition for young women and has become a time-honored tradition.

• Fast Facts

  1. Airs: January 24, 2009
  2. Current Host: Mario Lopez
  3. Originally aired on ABC in 1954
  4. 2007 Network: CMT
  5. 2008 Network: TLC
  6. President and CEO: Art McMaster
  7. Hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning in 2008
  8. Competition held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

• History

  The Miss America Pageant began in 1921 by New Jersey businessmen to increase tourism to the seaside location of Atlantic City. Originally entitled the Atlantic City Pageant, it advertised itself as a beauty competition which later evolved to a more holistic approach. The swimsuit and evening wear now only contribute a small portion to the overall score and weigh more towards academic achievement, career aspirations and service to the community and abroad. The overall competitions include interview, talent, evening wear, swimsuit and answering an on-stage question.

• Contestant Requirements

  1. 17-24 years of age
  2. Unmarried status
  3. Legal citizen of the United States
  4. Resident of delegated state
  5. Educational honors

• The Big Move

  The ratings for the pageant soared in the 1960s after picking up popularity across the nation. However, over the years the ratings decreased and fell for the first time under 10 million in 2004. The host station, ABC, decided against further broadcasting the competition and Miss America moved to CMT in 2007. The TLC network took over in 2008 and moved the entire competition from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Though viewership is drastically less than before, it still manages to have a steady crowd of followers.

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Miss America | Miss America Winner 2009 | Miss USA Pageant | Miss Teen USA Pageant | Miss America Live | Miss America Winner | Miss America 2008 | Donald Trump | Lauren Nelson | Vanessa Williams | Miss Universe | Miss Sister 2008 | Christie Ganoe | Kseniya Sukhinova | Little Miss Perfect | Who Won Miss USA | Miss USA Winner | Jessi Pierson | Carrie Prejean

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