CMT Kicks Off the 2006 Miss America Pageant With the Premiere of "Greatest Miss America Moments" Airing Saturday, January 21 At 7 P.M. ET/PT

CMT Kicks Off the 2006 Miss America Pageant With the Premiere of "Greatest Miss America Moments" Airing Saturday, January 21 At 7 P.M. ET/PT

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- It's been called America's first "reality show" and it would go on to become one of the longest-running shows in television history. Originally devised by Atlantic City businessmen to attract tourists, the MISS AMERICA PAGEANT has become the largest scholarship program for women in the world and an American institution. CMT kicks off the 51st live telecast of the MISS AMERICA PAGEANT* on Saturday, January 21, with the premiere of GREATEST MISS AMERICA MOMENTS at 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

In this exciting, one-hour look at the evolution of MISS AMERICA, present and former Miss Americas reveal what it's really like to spend a year as American "royalty" - from personal stories of courage and hope, to the drama and controversy of an institution caught in the crossfire of social change. Some highlights include:

* Those Scandalous Swimsuits! - It's hard to imagine that the bulky wool tunics and bloomers were once called "bathing wear" in 1921, but from its inception, the swimsuit component of MISS AMERICA has been a lightning rod for critics. And, when society changed and evolved over the years, so did the swimsuits.

* Miss America & Hollywood - Miss America 1955 Lee Meriwether parlayed her success as Miss America into a long career in Hollywood. Not only is she credited with being the original "Catwoman," she starred in many roles and is still a working actress today. Other former winners were also tapped to star in films and television.

* Miss America Goes To War - Behind the glamour, Miss America is an ambassador of goodwill for this country, especially in times of war. Former Miss America 1943, Jean Bartel, turned down film and stage offers to sell war bonds during WWII. Incredible stories that soldiers have shared with the Miss Americas for over half a century make up one of the most important and historical MISS AMERICA MOMENTS.

* The First Scholarship - The first Miss America scholarship was awarded in 1945 to Bess Myerson and the idea for it came from Miss America 1943, Jean Bartel. Miss America has grown to become the largest provider of scholarships to women in the world.

* Breaking The Color Barrier - In 1983, Vanessa Williams was the first African-American to be crowned Miss America. This important milestone paved the way for other winners such as Suzette Charles (1984), Debbye Turner (1990), Marjorie Vincent (1991) and Kimberly Aiken (1994).

* The Master of Ceremonies - 1955 ushered in a new emcee for the pageant. Bert Parks, a game show host and former vaudeville song and dance man, was about to begin a career that would forever make his name synonymous with Miss America. Miss America changed each year, but Parks was always there to sing "There She Is, Miss America."

* Courage Under The Crown - When Heather Whitestone became Miss America in 1994, she continued a long tradition of women conquering social barriers and stigma. But at that magical moment onstage in Atlantic City, Whitestone was the only one in the room who didn't know she had just been crowned Miss America. That's because she was deaf . the first physically challenged woman to wear the crown. Suddenly, there was an enormous vibration as audience members, knowing she would sense vibration, began stomping their feet so she could literally feel their appreciation. To this day, longtime pageant fans still remember Whitestone's crowning as one of the most emotional moments they've ever seen.

Throughout GREATEST MISS AMERICA MOMENTS, there are incredible accounts of women, like Heather Whitestone's, who redefined America's very image of women.

GREATEST MISS AMERICA MOMENTS is produced by Taillight TV. Richard Van Syckle serves as executive producer for CMT.

CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches more than 78.7 million households in the United States. Go to country music's biggest web site at www.CMT.com.

* The 2006 MISS AMERICA PAGEANT will air live at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central, and will be tape delayed to air at 8 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Mountain.

Source: CMT

CONTACT: Nicole Pope of CMT, +1-615-335-8406 or nicole.pope@cmt.com

Web site: http://www.cmt.com/

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