Pageant followers in Vicksburg and in Central Mississippi missed all but the last 30 minutes of the Miss Mississippi contest due to technical difficulties by WLBT-TV3, the Jackson-based NBC affiliate that broadcasts the annual pageant.

“Obviously, we were very disappointed for the people of Central Mississippi not to get to see the entire pageant,” said David Blackledge, chairman of the Miss Mississippi Corporation board and executive director of the pageant.

A person who answered the phone in the WLBT newsroom Saturday night said it was unclear if the station would air the entire pageant later.

The two-hour, live show is filmed by a WLBT crew and broadcast to its viewers in Jackson, Vicksburg and surrounding areas, as well as to the other NBC affiliates across the state — WDAM in Hattiesburg, WAGB in Greenville and WTVA in Tupelo.

Those stations reported no problems.

For viewers in Vicksburg, the technical glitch caused disappointment and frustration.

“I watch the pageant every year,” said Valeria Johnson. “I went to it for about 20 years, and I’ve watched it on TV every year since. We waited all week for this, and it’s a shame that we missed so much.”

For those with Internet service, a live webcast rolled on the Miss Mississippi website, which saw a spike in viewership as the show progressed. At the beginning of the movie-themed show, about 1,800 viewers had logged on and that number increased to about 3,000 around 9:30 p.m.

“I watched it online, but the picture quality wasn’t good,” said Ruth Brown Cooper of Vicksburg.

The new Miss Mississippi, Mary Margaret Roark of Cleveland, gave her customary live interview with WLBT during the start of the 10 p.m. news broadcast. Anchor Roslyn Anderson apologized to viewers.

“At least I got to see who won,” Johnson said. “That’s really the most important part.”