Miss America without a TV home -- again

NASHVILLE, March 30 (UPI) -- The Miss America Pageant is without a television home again, as cable network CMT in Nashville announced it would not televise the pageant next year.

The news comes on the heels of Donald Trump signing a deal with NBC extending that network's airing of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants until 2010, E! News said Thursday.

The announcement by CMT Thursday marked the second time in three years that the 86-year-old Miss America pageant lost its TV deal. ABC dropped the event in 2004 because of declining ratings.

"While CMT deeply values its relationship with the Miss America Organization, the network has (told) the Organization of its plans not to exercise its option to televise the Miss America Pageant in 2008 and beyond," the country music net said in a statement.

Pageant chief Art McMaster said in a statement that discussions are under way with potential television partners "to further expand our new marketing efforts and to ultimately broaden our viewership."