2017 Miss Arkansas Pageant to be broadcast live on KATV
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — (CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON MOBILE)
For the first time in the history of the Miss Arkansas Pageant, you will be able to see the entire final night of the Miss Arkansas Pageant live on television.
KATV Channel 7 and the Miss Arkansas Pageant Board are proud to announce the 2017 Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant will be broadcast live on KATV Saturday, June 17 at 7 p.m.
This will mark the first time the pageant has been televised in the event’s 80-year history.
Channel 7 Daybreak anchor Chris Kane and Miss Arkansas 2009 Sarah Slocum Collins will serve as pageant emcees for the three-hour live broadcast. The live show will include popular pageant segments such as the talent showcase, swimsuit, evening wear, and contestant interviews, and will culminate in the live crowning of the new Miss Arkansas 2017.
“The timing is perfect,” KATV General Manager Mark Rose said. “Not only is the pageant returning to the iconic and newly renovated Robinson Performance Hall for the pageant’s 80th anniversary, but thanks to the success of the reigning Miss America Savvy Shields, interest in the pageant is at an all-time high. Now, to top it all off, viewers across the state can experience the excitement of the pageant, live from the comfort of their homes, on Arkansas’ most iconic TV station – KATV.”
With help from The Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History, the broadcast will also include archival video and film from the vast KATV vault, celebrating the Miss Arkansas Pageant’s 80-year history of providing exceptional opportunities for scholarship, growth and impactful empowerment of women.
“We are thankful to have partners in KATV Channel 7 who share our vision for celebrating the history of the Miss Arkansas Pageant, and the opportunity to highlight the young women representing local programs from across our state through televising our final competition night live,” commented Jessie Ward Bennett, who serves at the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant’s Executive Director. “We are planning for an exceptional show, and are thrilled to continue to work with our long-time supporter in KATV Channel 7, but in an all-new and exciting way.”
“It will be such a special treat for everyone involved, including the Miss Arkansas organization, the contestants, myself and of course, the fans,” added reigning Miss Arkansas 2016 Savannah Skidmore. “I can’t wait for viewers across the state to be able to see how much work has been put into our pageant this year, and just how impressive and talented the 44 girls vying for my crown are!”
In addition to the live broadcast, 2017 will mark the return of the Miss Arkansas pageant to the capital city, where it will be hosted by the newly renovated Robinson Performance Hall in downtown Little Rock.
“We look forward to showcasing Little Rock to contestants, and their families and friends, and to building a long-lasting relationship with pageant representatives,” said Gretchen Hall, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO.
Preliminary competition will run June 13-15, with the crowning of Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen 2017 on Friday, June 16. The live broadcast and final competition will be Saturday, June 17 beginning at 7 p.m. on KATV.
Tickets for the 80th Anniversary of the Miss Arkansas Pageant are now on sale through the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant Business office at (501) 321-3506, and beginning May 1 via Ticketmaster.
