Las Vegas Weekly

January 30, 2009 · 12:01 AM

Photo Gallery: Miss America dazzles Super Bowl stars; strong ratings for TLC

By Robin Leach

2009 Miss America Katie Stam and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

The Miss America Pageant broadcast live from Planet Hollywood last weekend scored very strong ratings, making it cable TV’s most-watched show of the night. In addition, with 3.5 million viewers, The Learning Channel was ranked third for the evening behind major networks Fox and CBS and ahead of ABC, NBC, the CW and UPN!

Just as I was receiving the official Nielsen Research data, my phone rang and there was shining star Katie Stam calling from Tampa, Fla., to tell me about her Super Bowl meetings with country super couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, music legend Bruce Springsteen and sports anchor Bob Costas.

“I’m having the time of my life,” said an excited Katie, the 2009 Miss America from Seymour, Ind., who admitted that it still hasn’t really hit her yet that she is Miss America. “Every time I say hello, I still wonder if it’s really me with the title.”

I told her the rating results, and Katie was ecstatic: “That’s so wonderful for the Miss America Organization, our scholarship program and the work we do.”

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue is traveling with Katie and MAO President Art McMaster in Florida for Super Bowl activities, and he is shooting exclusive photos for Vegas DeLuxe. Tom also managed to snap New York Giants quarterback and last year's Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and music superstar John Legend.

Art confirmed the ratings: “The pageant show was the most-watched show on cable for the night among adults 18 to 49, women 18 to 49, adults 18 to 34 and women 18 to 34. After partnering with TLC for the last two years, we have been able to build our Miss America audience and reach new and younger demographics. We are thrilled with the results, and we have been able to successfully re-brand our Miss America image while continuing to expand the reach of our program.

“We are truly excited with the new direction of our pageant telecast and to know that viewers across America are tuning in to witness the tradition of our pageant being presented in a new and contemporary way. We hope now that we will be able to renew our contracts after next year’s broadcast with Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas and TLC for many years to come.”

During her year as Miss America, Katie will serve as the goodwill ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network and will work on her personal platform of “Promoting Community Service and Involvement” across the country.

My ace lens man Tom confirmed: “Her charisma is amazing. People are going mad for her. Everybody wants to meet her and shake her hands or get a quick kiss on the cheek. It’s amazing. She’s becoming an overnight sensation, and it’s building like pop superstar fame every minute. Katie has this amazing personality that just shines, radiates and wins everybody over instantly. Even the big superstars want to hang with her.”

Katie told me: “The response so far has been great. I left Las Vegas last Sunday for New York, and we haven’t stopped since. It’s wonderful meeting so many people and being able to tell them the Miss America message. It’s growing daily, and it’s all a whirlwind. I’ve got tons of TV interviews here, more than anybody ever expected. Everybody wants photos and interviews with me. It built like that in New York, and it’s now even more here.

“I’m following Kirsten’s advice (2008 Miss America Kirsten Haglund) and taking quick notes for a daily journal. I know another two months of this break-neck schedule, everything will start running together, and I don’t want to forget one experience.

“Every night before bed, I get in a daily phone call with my boyfriend and run down the day. He’s thrilled for me and excited about everything I’m doing. It’s almost as if he’s right there with me. I have been so busy meeting fans and media, he and I haven’t had time yet to plan our first meeting-up point somewhere in my travels, but we will work on that very soon!”

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