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Television and Miss America: Over Forty-years of History
A true American institution, the Miss America competition has been broadcast live at one time or another by all three of the country's major television networks and remains one of the highest rated annual events on national television today.
In 2001, the Miss America telecast attracted ABC's largest Saturday night audience since January 29, 2000. Ratings for the telecast improved 7% from the previous year's delivery. In the 81st year of the competition Katie Harman was selected as Miss America and is the first contestant from Oregon to win the title of Miss America.
In 2000, for the first time ever, the pageant was held in October. In an effort to remain competitive for the year, the Organization and ABC agreed that October 14 at 8PM EST would be the best possible time slot. The Organization also celebrated its 80th anniversary, complete with sand sculptures, chocolate displays, and the return of King Neptune.
In 1997 the Miss America Pageant assumed a three-hour time slot, airing from 9 p.m. EDT until midnight and returned to ABC, where it debuted in 1954, enjoying excellent rating reports. The Associated Press noted, "Thanks to Miss America and Michael Jackson, ABC ended NBC's 18-week winning streak atop Neilsen Media Research's prime time television rankings." The Pageant ranked 7th for the week above popular favorites including Friends, Dateline, ER, 20/20, 60 Minutes, NFL Monday Showcase, The Drew Carey Show, and Home Improvement.
In 1996, the Pageant tied with the popular show Touched by an Angel for Top Show of the Week's fifth place, outranking Friends, Dateline, Home Improvement, 3rd Rock from the Sun (Sunday), ER, and Caroline in the City. In 1995, for the first time ever, in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Miss America, the telecast was broadcast live throughout the 50 states.
In 1954 ABC first televised the Miss America Pageant, capturing the crowning of Lee Meriwether and 39 percent of the television audience. The telecast moved to CBS in 1957 and by 1958 was expanded from 90 minutes to two hours. The ensuing boost in viewership found nearly two-thirds of all American television sets tuned into the show.
In 1966 the Miss America Pageant shifted to NBC and was first telecast in color. To counter this change, CBS scheduled an opening game of the National Football League directly opposite the Pageant program. The final ratings demonstrated that Miss America scored a three to one victory over the game.
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