John Katsilometes takes in a news conference for Miss America, which is totally different than Miss USA

Friday, Jan. 26, 2007 | 8:46 a.m.

Art McMaster took the podium Thursday in an Aladdin/Planet Hollywood conference room and said, "Where is everyone?" It was a sparsely attended affair, with fewer media types on hand than last year's opener when Miss America celebrated its move to Las Vegas from Atlantic City. Defying being called the "other pageant" in comparison to the more nefarious (at least in terms of away-from-the-pageant publicity) Miss USA showcase, McMaster said, "We're a scholarship pageant. They're a true beauty pageant."

The Miss America president and chief executive also said the pageant is pleased with its relationship with cable outfit CMT, which took over as the pageant's TV home after Miss America and ABC parted ways after the 2005 pageant. As CMT Executive Producer Sarah Brock noted, 35 million viewers watched last year's pageant.

Of course, it was aired 20 times over the past year. CMT, proud of its programming flexibility, will rebroadcast Monday night's show 10 times through Feb. 21 and can repeat the pageant as many times as it likes (it could become the Pageant Network, even).

McMaster and Brock said discussions about where to host the 2008 pageant would not start until after Monday's show is finished. Brock said, "Las Vegas is a great place for the show. It helps a lot to have worked out a lot of logistics last year. That's really important to us."

Also reported by McMaster was that judge Delta Burke fell ill on Tuesday and would not be able to fulfill her commitment to the pageant. She interviewed 28 contestants before begging out; those scores will be passed on to the remaining judges.

NoteMart

A bottle of red, a bottle of white: Opening in the space vacated by Rosemary's at the Rio is the popular South Florida Italian restaurant Cafe Martorano. The over-the-top eatery (asking for substitutions might get you beaten up) owned by Steve Martorano opens in February ...

The box office was not open Thursday at the Steve Wyrick Entertainment Complex, and the sign for Triq nightclub was just being put into place around noon. Wyrick's show will have a soft (as in, friends and family) opening this weekend. I'm thinking mid-February, at the earliest, will be the official start time for the project at Desert Passage mall at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood ...

Cut! Bravo is planning a new "docu-series" centering on "American Idol" focal point and Nevada Ballet Theatre Woman of the Year Paula Abdul. The show's working title is "Hey Paula" and will debut later this year, the network says ...

Wynn Las Vegas sports book director and film buff Johnny Avello updated his Academy Awards odds on Wednesday, after the nominations were announced. The favorites are "The Departed" (3-to-1) for best picture, Forest Whitaker (5-to-2) for best actor, Helen Mirren (even) for best actress, Eddie Murphy (5-to-1) for best supporting actor, Jennifer Hudson (7-to-2) for best supporting actress and Martin Scorsese (3-to-1), finally, for best director (the odds are for entertainment purposes only) ...

Vegas moment: A handmade sign I spotted Wednesday night at Rancho Drive and Charleston Boulevard read, "I Need a Girlfriend - 702.com." This innovative approach to social interaction was hanging on a temporary chain-link fence outside the University Women's Center ...

Obfuscate: Plate on a gold Nissan Murano, OBFUSK8.