One final question comes down to 140 characters at Miss USA Competition

Miss USA fans will be active participants in the interview portion of the competition

For the first time ever, The 2012 Miss USA Competition will invite fans to ask a final question using Twitter leading up to the 2012 "Miss USA" telecast, airing live from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on June 3 at 9 p.m. on NBC. Traditionally, the celebrity judging panel asks the final question of the remaining five finalists. This year, one of the five questions will come from a real fan via Twitter.

Beginning Wednesday and throughout the two-hour program, fans will tweet questions to contestants using #AskMissUSA. One lucky fan question will be read to a Top 5 finalist during the interview portion of the competition.

"Live tweets will be incorporated during the swimsuit and evening gown portions giving viewers an opportunity to follow what fans are saying in real time," said Barry Adelman, executive producer of Dick Clark Productions. "We wanted to add an element of suspense by integrating social media into the final question portion. It will all come down to one contestant, one fan and 140 characters."

Social media has played an integral role with the Miss USA fan base. Last year, the organization launched its first-ever online voting campaign allowing fans to vote for their favorite contestant for an automatic spot in the semifinals. The 2012 Miss USA Competition Fan Vote returns and is taking place now through June 2 at www.missusa.com and www.NBC.com.

Last year, NBC's Sunday telecast of the Miss USA Competition was No. 1 for the night, matched the event's highest adult 18-49 rating in six years, and generated its biggest overall audience in four years, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Throughout the Miss USA competition, each contestant representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia competes in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The telecast concludes with Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella crowning her successor.

The Miss USA telecast now reaches approximately 90 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.missusa.com.

About the Miss USA Competition

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. As part of the Miss Universe Organization, Miss USA is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing awareness of breast and ovarian cancers. For more information, visit: www.missusa.com.

Follow Miss USA:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialMissUSA

• YouTube: www.youtube.com/OfficialMissUSA

• Twitter: @MissUSA