FALL RIVER -- The Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant, which takes place here every year, may be acquiring some new fans overseas.

A clip from the 10th annual national pageant, which took place on Nov. 7 at B.M.C. Durfee High School's Nagle Auditorium, was included in a recent program aired in Japan on the Fuji Television Network.

"This is by far the biggest exposure the pageant has ever received. It should help them out," said Frank Wing of Wings Television Inc. in Fall River. His television and production company recorded the pageant, and Wing mailed a copy of the video to Fuji Television in February.

The 2004 National Ms. Senior Sweetheart, Shirley Vaughan of Roanoke, Va., knows someone with a production company with contacts with Fuji Television. She suggested that the Japanese network might be interested in airing a piece of the pageant.

Wing said he was told that the clip was broadcast soon after he sent it to Japan, but he couldn't get a copy until last weekend, when he returned home from the National Association of Broad-casters Convention in Las Vegas. When he arrived at the convention, Wing said, he went to the Fuji Television booth and spoke to the people there about getting a copy of the tape. The tape was at his home waiting for him when he returned from the convention.

The Japanese show was about different pageants worldwide.

Wing, who has been videotaping the Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant for about five years, said the segment on it lasted for just longer than a minute.

Len "Low Price Lenny" Kaplan, president of the pageant, said he doesn't understand much Japanese, but he greatly enjoyed seeing the tape Wing game him.

"It's exciting to think we would get this exposure," Kaplan said. "Fuji TV is one of the largest networks in Japan."

Kaplan said he'll try to get the Japanese show translated into English.

"With Frank's genius at video and my enthusiasm, who knows what may come of this?" Kaplan said.

In addition to the 2004 winner, the segment also shows Yvette Mancini of Fall River, an 87-year-old contestant, and the opening act of the pageant.

"It's exciting. It's so cute," Kaplan said. "The host is my kind of guy. I think he's more excited and even nuttier than I am."

Kaplan started the pageant in Fall River 27 years ago as a fund-raiser for the Lions. It went national 11 years ago.