Miss Virginia Pageant 2010

This year's 75^th Miss Virginia Pageant will include several elements of reality TV shows that draw high ratings for national television shows - - and the Miss America Pageant, as well. "With Miss America being back on ABC this fall, it's a great year for us to really promote our reality-TV elements that make Miss Virginia one of the most unique state Miss America prelims in the country", says Harlen Gudger, Executive Director. "Only a few state pageants are still televised. We're extremely fortunate. This year, we're not only staying on commercial broadcast TV, but we've extended our coverage to include areas of five states. And the reality-TV elements give viewers two chances to vote for their favorite contestants as many times as they wish".

The broadcast takes place from 9 - 11 PM EST on Saturday, June 26, on these 8 TV stations: WSET ABC 13 Roanoke/ Lynchburg; WRIC ABC 8 Richmond; WVIR NBC 29 Charlottesville; WHSV My Valley WHSV-DT 49.4, Harrisonburg; WCYB CW 4 DT 28.3 / Bristol Tri-Cities, WDCW 50 Washington, DC; WSKY-TV 4 IND. Hampton Roads/Norfolk; and WVVA CW 2 Bluefield, WV. This year's telecast will not only reach homes throughout the state of Virginia; it will also be broadcast in Washington, DC; Maryland; and limited coverage in West Virginia. Tennessee and North Carolina.

INTERNET VOTE

An internet vote began about two weeks ago. People visit the pageant website, missva.com, to vote for their favorite contestant(s) at a minimal cost of $ .99 / vote.

There's no limit - people can vote as many times as they like and for as many contestants that they like "Two years ago, the Miss America contestant who received the most public votes ended up becoming Miss America, so even though the votes themselves may only put that contestant in the "Top 11" on Saturday night, if she has the right qualities, you never know what can happen," says Mark Schreier, the pageant's Producer/Director responsible for adding public involvement aspects to the telecast. "We want people to have a vested interest to watch and keep watching to see how well their favorite(s) perform. We don't want people to channel surf, so we're changing things this year to catch and keep viewers' interest".

TEXT MESSAGE VOTE

For the second consecutive year, TV viewers can text message votes for their favorite top 11 semi-finalist(s) LIVE when they see the ladies compete in swimsuit, talent, and evening wear competitions. Each vote costs $ .99 and standard text message rates apply. The service, sponsored by Drs. Newman, Blackstock & Associates Optometrists, will be provided by a Pennsylvania-based company with lots of experience. "84444.com is honored to have been chosen as the official text message voting provider for the Miss Virginia Pageant," said Bob Bentz, Director of Marketing and Sales at Advanced Telecom Services -- the Wayne, Pennsylvania company supplying the service. "It's great to see another innovative use of this exciting audience participation technology." 84444.com has supplied similar text message voting solutions for ABC's Wide World of Sports, ESPN Radio, Clear Channel, and Duke University. Winners of both the internet vote and the text message vote won't be announced until after Saturday night's judging is completed. Each winner receives an additional $500 scholarship. If the internet vote winner has already been selected as a semi-finalist by the judges' preliminary competition scores, the next highest internet vote receiver takes the additional "top 11" spot, and so on, so that 11^th position will definitely be filled by the result of the public votes.

HIGH DEFINITION TELECAST

WSKY-TV Television Productions based in Chesapeake, VA. is taking over the television production aspects of the show, which, for the first time in the pageant's 75-year history, will be broadcast in high definition. "We need to change with the times", Gudger adds, "while still maintaining the importance of scholarship and community service that clearly sets Miss Virginia and Miss America apart from all other pageants."

More information about the show and the performers will be announced soon. "With this being our 75^th year," we're going to roll out the red carpet and have lots of fun", adds Bootie Chewning, Executive Producer. "We have a tremendous cast, new choreographer, and will be ready to roll in just two weeks! We've been planning nearly every aspect of this production since last fall. It all culminates when 30 contestants (the highest number in several years) from across the state arrive on Sunday, June 20. And we have a new twist for the top 5 finalists on Saturday night that will inject a higher energy level into those final moments of competition", she hints, "but we're not going to tell anyone about it just yet".

The Miss Virginia Scholarship Program is an official preliminary to the Miss America Pageant, the world's leading provider of scholarships for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization awarded more than $45 million in scholarships at local, state, and national levels of competition. In Virginia, contestants at local and state levels receive more than $ 100,000 in cash scholarships. These young ladies, in turn, raised more than $ 30,000 for the Children's Miracle Network, the official community service platform of the organization.