There was a time when beauty pageants like "Miss America" and "Miss Universe" drew 20 million or more viewers and people planned their schedules around them.
   That time has long since passed. The latest example of how far beauty pageants have slipped came last night when "Miss Universe" hit its lowest viewership in at least four years and was off 14 percent from last year.
   According to Nielsen overnights, Miss Canada’s victory on NBC averaged a 6.0 overnight household rating, down 13 percent versus last year’s 6.9, while it averaged 8.97 million total viewers, down 14 percent from last year’s 10.48 million.
   If the numbers hold, both will be the event’s lowest since 2001’s pageant earned a 5.8 rating and averaged 8.27 million viewers. Just 15 years ago, it attracted more than 13 million.
   The drop in ratings is the latest in a long string of declining ratings for pageants, and it begs the question of how much longer they'll stay on broadcast TV.
   In April, the “Miss USA” pageant was down almost 40 percent from the previous year, to some 8 million viewers.
   Last year’s "Miss America" slipped to an all-time low 6.4 household rating and 9.82 million viewers, the first time it attracted fewer than 10 million since Nielsen began tracking the event in 1954.
   That prompted ABC to drop the pageant after eight years on the network, and it has yet to latch onto another network.
    The very idea of a beauty pageant is antiquated, a throwback to the days when resorts like Atlantic City promoted to draw day tourists. They were daring then.
   They're no longer daring in any sense. After all, fans of the female form can find much more revealing pictures online than a parade of bikini-clad women in the swimsuit competition.

   Meanwhile, a rerun of CBS’s “CSI: Miami” was last night’s highest-rated show among viewers 18-49 with a 4.0 average rating during the 10 p.m. timeslot. CBS led the night in the demo with a 3.2 average rating and a 9 share, while NBC and Fox tied for second, each at 2.8/8. ABC finished fourth for the night at 2.3/6, UPN fifth at 0.9/2 and the WB sixth at 0.8/2.
   A Miss USA-themed rerun of “Fear Factor” earned NBC a 2.3 average rating at 8 p.m., tying it for first with a rerun of “Nanny 911” on Fox. CBS was third during the hour with a 2.0 average for reruns of “Still Standing” (2.1) and “Listen Up” (1.9).
   CBS took the lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.5 average for repeats of “Everybody Loves Raymond” (3.4) and “Two and a Half Men” (3.5). Fox was second with a 3.2 average for the premiere of the reality series “Hell’s Kitchen” and NBC third with a 2.7 for the first hour of “Miss Universe.”
   At 10 p.m. CBS led with its 4.0 average for “CSI: Miami.” NBC was second with a 3.5 for the last half of “Miss Universe” and ABC third with a 2.5 average for the last hour of the NBA playoff game between the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
   Among households, CBS led for the night with a 7.1 average rating and a 12 share. NBC finished second at 5.3/9, ABC and Fox tied for third at 4.1/7, the WB was fifth at 1.6/3 and UPN was sixth at 1.4/2.