NIA FRANKLIN, REPRESENTING NEW YORK, WAS CROWNED MISS AMERICA 2019 ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 IN ATLANTIC CITY
The Miss America Organization announced Tuesday that its upcoming pageant will be held at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.
NBC will broadcast the Miss America 2020 pageant live from the Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. (The pageant was broadcast from Atlantic City last year on ABC.
“Miss America is a storied organization that has a long history of empowering women, providing tremendous educational resources to women and serving the overall public good,” said Ray Pineault, president and general manager of Mohegan Sun, in a statement. “Like the Miss America Organization, Mohegan Sun celebrates the successful and inspiring women within our company and the Mohegan Tribe. We’re thrilled to be hosting an impactful event like the Miss America competition in December, and we look forward to working with both Miss America and NBC on what will be a tremendous evening.”
The Miss America pageant began in Atlantic City in 1921 as a way to extend the tourism season beyond Labor Day weekend. It moved to Las Vegas in 2005, but returned to Atlantic City in 2013.
The move from Atlantic City this year was expected since the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority there declined to renew subsidies for the pageant. According to CBS News, the authority has provided more than $20 million in subsidies since 2013.
“The Miss America Organization is proud to partner with Mohegan Sun as we return to our longtime NBC home,” said Regina Hopper, president and CEO of the Miss America Organization in a statement. “We are looking forward to a fresh take on this historic competition that will showcase the incredible women vying for the job of Miss America 2020.”
The pageant has found itself in troubled times.
Last month, Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who presided over the elimination of the pageant’s swimsuit competition, stepped down as chairwoman of the Miss America Organization board after 17 months on the job.
The one-time Fox News host was part of an all-female leadership team that took over the pageant following an embarrassing email scandal in which male leaders insulted former Miss Americas, denigrating their appearance, intelligence and even their sex lives.
Source: Pennlive.com, 7/23/2019