Yet even the program’s most devoted fans admit the show’s format was stilted. The contestants, she said, delivered the best reality they could. This year, Junior Miss relied heavily on local taxpayer support, with the city and county of Mobile providing one-third of the program’s $1 million budget.Īfter experimenting with a behind-the-scenes “reality” TV concept last year, the program was told it needed more cutthroat competition.” Yet the show’s popularity has dwindled since its heyday in 1965, when it began a 23-year run on national television and was sponsored by Coca-Cola and Kodak.
