TLC Ends Contract with Miss America

The Miss America pageant will have to seek a new home on cable television, seeing as The Learning Channel (TLC) has chosen not to renew its contract with the competition.

When broadcast on Jan. 30, the pageant received a total of 4.5 million viewers-- a record for the event on cable-- so it is curious that TLC would choose to decline a contract extension.

Sam Haskell, chairman of the Miss America Organization, claims that TLC did not want to pick up another three-year option as they did previously. Haskell said that TLC instead wanted a two-year deal for less money, an undesirable option for the organization.

"They're not dumping Miss America," said Haskell. "They wanted Miss America, they just didn't want to pay the same numbers for it that they'd been paying."

Haskell stated that four networks, both broadcast and cable channels, have shown great interest in airing the pageant and would be willing to pay the TLC option or higher.