Miss America To Drop Talent Competiton

Atlantic City, N.J. -- A scaled-down Miss America telecast this year may not include live talent performances or discussion of contestants' platforms, according to pageant officials.

ABC, which has televised the pageant since 1997 and is now negotiating a new deal with the Miss America Organization, has said it wants to cut the three-hour show by an hour.

That would mean less money for the pageant, whose television ratings have fallen sharply in recent years, with last year's show posting the lowest numbers in pageant history.

While several changes have been suggested, acting pageant CEO Art McMaster said no decisions would be made until later this year.

"They have some ideas about how to make (the broadcast) better," McMaster said. "You can't ignore the fact that ratings drop down when these things (talent and platform discussions) happen."

The changes would not eliminate the pageant's talent portion -- contestants would still have to perform during the three nights of preliminary competition. However, many fans and former contestants are outraged that the changes are even being considered.

"The talent competition is a cornerstone of this program," said Debbye Turner, who won the Miss America crown in 1990. "It's what makes it different from every other pageant out there."

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