[Pageant officials thanked the Atlantic City community for its longstanding support of the pageant.] We thoroughly appreciate the assistance we have received from the Atlantic City community, and the state of New Jersey over the past 85 years, ... The entire community has embraced Miss America, its contestants and the pageant's rich history. |
Atlanta is a nice city, ... I'm sure they would have the facilities. |
Basic values and tradition, that is what we brought the show back to. |
Honestly, the pressure was on. At the end of the day, I think things really worked out. |
I don't even want to go there. |
I don't know why we would want to change it. We're already getting offers from other cities. |
It was a strictly financial decision. The revenues just aren't there anymore. People think we wanted to take the show on the road, but that's not true. |
It's humbling to be part of something truly historic. |
Las Vegas is the perfect host city to bring new energy to the Miss America Pageant. It should make for a fantastic pageant and great television. |
Last year, we paid $575,000 in labor wages just getting the hall ready. Then it comes right back down the next day. |
Miss America was born and raised here. After 85 years, just to pack up and leave town is not a good thing. That's the saddest thing about this. |
Once we reach Las Vegas the game faces come on. |
Remember, we're going to reach out to the heartland of America. That was the reason for partnering with CMT, a network that reaches that market. There's no doubt Miss America is a heartland event. |
The days of big money are gone, and the days of big-money production companies are gone. The big money just wasn't there anymore, and we had to face that reality. |
The decision to leave the longtime home in Atlantic City was made after extremely careful deliberation and with the highest level of respect for the countless friends, volunteers and fans of the pageant, |