CBS SLAM DUNKS THE NBA PLAYOFFS WITH MISS UNIVERSE 2002

New York, New York, May 31, 2002 - In a rare Wednesday win, the Miss Universe competition had the advantage over the heavily promoted NBA playoffs winning the Wednesday night with an eight percent advantage over NBC. The pageant's overnight ratings reached an 8.5 out of a 13 share in the battle of beauty vs. basketball.

Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award winning Latin super-star Marc Anthony performed at the 51ST ANNUAL MISS UNIVERSE® 2002 competition live from San Juan, Puerto Rico and the show was hosted by actress and model Daisy Fuentes and NFL great Phil Simms.

Oxana Fedorva, Miss Russia, was crowned at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast, before an estimated worldwide viewing audience of 600 million in more than 176 countries and territories. The 24-year-old beauty is a lecturer at the University of the Ministry of Interior in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is also a post-graduate student working on her Civil Law PHD.

The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® competitions, is a Donald J. Trump and CBS partnership. Utilizing its global grass roots infrastructure, the Miss Universe Organization is committed to increasing HIV/AIDS Awareness and women's health and reproductive issues. By forging relationships with organizations committed to research and education, such as the Harvard AIDS Institute and the United Nations Population Fund's Face-to-Face Campaign, Miss Universe is armed to impact women today.

PRESS CONTACTS:
Mary Hilliard Harrington/Esther Swan
The Miss Universe Organization
(212) 373-4982/(212) 373-4870