You might say that the Miss America pageant—which has somehow just entered its 95th year—has grown more than a little long in the tooth, and that scholarships can be obtained in less questionable ways these days. But your allegations of obsolescence would go as unnoticed as any non-baton twirling talent, because ABC remains intent on broadcasting the pageant for a few more years. That’s according to Deadline, which reports that the network has just extended its contract with the pageant organizers and Dick Clark Productions by three years.
Sam Haskell, CEO of the Miss America Organization, told Deadline he’s “so pleased to continue our successful partnership with ABC. Miss America, Dick Clark Productions and ABC have worked tirelessly to make the national competition one of the most important specials on television.” Haskell’s got to be feeling a little more confident in his pageant’s place as the premiere outdated relic on TV, now that the Miss USA event has a decidedly lower profile. Which means we can look forward to the “scholarship program” continuing to provide timely commentary (eight months after the fact) on events like DeflateGate until at least 2018.