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.