Gowers to Produce Miss America Pageant for TLC

TLC tapped Grammy Award-winning producer Anthony Eaton and Emmy Award-winning director Bruce Gowers to produce its live Jan. 26 Miss America Live pageant telecast.

Eaton, who heads up Tall Pony Productions, has produced such major network specials like Fashion Rocks, Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, and The 6th Annual Radio Music Awards. 

Gowers, best known for directing Fox’s American Idol has also directed such shows as So You Think You Can Dance and Celebrity Duets.

The two will head up production for TLC’s first Miss America pageant telecast. The Discovery Networks-owned channel this past August acquired distribution rights to the 86-year old pageant through 2010, beginning with the Jan. 26 event in Las Vegas. The network will also produce a reality series leading up to the Miss America finals.

Said Brant Pinvidic, senior vice president of programming for TLC in a statement: “We are thrilled to have two of the best talents in the business working on this landmark television special. They share our creative vision for reinventing this American classic and combining their innovative styles will yield an incredible live event.”  

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.