Miss Michigan was a deserving winner and will do a good job as Miss America 2008, said Miss New York Elisabeth Baldanza on Friday.
Baldanza, 24, of East Meredith, said she became friends with Miss Michigan and other contestants, and the two were on the dark-blue "Born to Win'' team for "Miss America: Reality Check,'' a reality series televised as a prelude to the live pageant.
Baldanza, who has returned to her Brooklyn apartment, said she will be making appearances as Miss New York during the next six months until she passes on the crown.
Some Miss America contestants are talking about meeting for little reunions, said Baldanza, who wasn't among the 16 finalists. Overall, the pageant was a wonderful experience with "ups and downs'' that provided insights, she said.
"It was great for me,'' she said. "I would do it again in a heartbeat.''
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More than 19.2 million people watched The Learning Channel's telecast of the 2008 Miss America Live! pageant over three airings, according to a media release from the pageant organization. The tally was based on the original live airing Jan. 26 and two repeat broadcasts.
Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund was among 52 contestants who appeared in swimsuit, evening gown and talent events this month at the theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. A panel of judges also assessed contestants on an interview and on-stage question.
The Miss America Organization and TLC have a three-year deal for the Miss America pageant. In its first airing, the program claimed the No. 1 spot on cable Saturday night among females between the ages of 18 and 34, increasing viewership during 2007 by 90 percent for that group.
The median age for the telecast was 37, nearly 7 years younger than the live premiere in 2007 and 14 years younger than in 2006, pageant officials reported.
Those viewership statistics are good news for the pageant and television organizations as they aim to modernize the image and work of Miss America.
"The amazing response we had to the live broadcast confirms that it resonated with the viewers,"
said Angela Shapiro-Mathes, president and general manager of TLC, in a prepared statement.
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For viewers who missed the live broadcast of the pageant, there is another chance to tune in.
Starting at 5 p.m., The Learning Channel will show the four episodes of "Miss America: Reality Check.'' And at 9 p.m. Sunday, Miss America Live! will be rebroadcast.
However, the pageant will have tough competition Sunday because Fox will be showing football's Super Bowl, where the New York Giants will play against the New England Patriots.
Fox will aim to break a viewership record, which Nielsen Media Research said is the 94.08 million who watched the Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 1996.
The Patriots will try to become the first undefeated NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins _ and secure near-unanimous acclaim as the best pro football team ever.
However, the Giants represent the biggest television market in the country, and the Super Bowl is the most popular television event of the year. Locally, the game coverage will be on channels 9 and 10, with pre-game starting at 2 p.m. and the kickoff at 6:17 p.m.
For those who favor pageants over football, tune in to TLC, channel 58 in the Oneonta area.
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Staff Writer Denise Richardson was in Las Vegas to cover the Miss America pageant.
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