A scandal-plagued year in the beauty pageant industry didn't deter Donald Trump from coming back for more.
The business mogul has sealed a deal to keep the Miss Universe Organization sitting pretty on NBC's airwaves for another three years, the network announced Wednesday.
Well, most of the Miss Universe Organization, anyway.
While the network will continue to broadcast both the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageants through 2010, the Miss Teen USA pageant will have its final NBC outing in summer 2007 when reigning Miss Teen USA Katie Blair hands over her crown.
Blair, 18, was caught up in some of the controversy surrounding former Miss USA Tara Conner after she was spotted boozing it up with her pageant peer in New York.
While she was not forced to join Conner in rehab in order to keep her sash, Blair was subsequently dropped as spokeswoman for Mothers Against Drunk Driving after the organization decided she was no longer a suitable role model.
However, given the various scandals endured by the older, though perhaps not wiser, Miss USA pageant during Conner's reign, it's doubtful that Blair's indiscretion had anything to do with the Miss Teen USA competition going off the air.
After making all too frequent appearances in the New York gossip columns due to some less than ladylike antics, Conner was shipped off to a treatment facility in December as a condition of keeping her crown.
She later acknowledged she had been a "functioning alcoholic" and had dabbled in cocaine use before Trump forced her into rehab.
"It made me truly appreciate the little things in life, made me truly appreciate my job and the role in this society," the Kentucky native told the Herald-Leder last month.
Less lucky was ex-Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees, who was stripped of her crown without passing rehab after racy pictures of her surfaced on the Internet in December.
Though Rees campaigned for a second chance to prove herself worthy of representing her state, Trump and the Miss USA Organization would not be swayed.
Finally, having seen her comely cohorts suffer through public humiliation, former Miss New Jersey USA Ashley Harder elected to give up her sash on her own terms in January after she became pregnant—a major pageant no-no.
Of course, there was also the feud between Trump and Rosie O'Donnell that erupted when the View cohostess dared to mock the Apprentice star's method of dealing with fallen beauty queens.
The sparring duo continue to lob fighting words at each other to this day, with no sign of resolution in sight.
Adding insult to injury, all the publicity surrounding the pageant did little to boost its ratings last week.
In fact, the 2007 Miss USA pageant, which concluded Friday with Conner crowning Tennessee native Rachel Smith as the new Miss USA, was watched by only 7.4 million viewers—down from last year's pageant.
Next up, it's the 2007 Miss Universe pageant's turn to attempt to stir up public interest in shapely bodies and striking visages when the international competition airs May 28 from Mexico City.
Meanwhile, the Donald is doing his best to drum up publicity for…something, by hosting World Wrestling Entertainment's Battle of the Billionaires in Las Vegas Sunday, with professional fighters dueling it out in the ring on behalf of Trump and WWE owner Vince McMahon.
The losing billionaire will have his head shaved live after the fight.