Page 1
1.
Who transmitted the first electronic TV picture?
A)
Vladimir Zworykin
B)
Philo Farnsworth
C)
Thomas Edison
D)
John Grierson
2.
The first TV camera tube, which converted light rays into electric signals, was called
______.
A)
static-free FM
B)
the iconosope
C)
HDTV
D)
the scanning disk jockey
3.
The FCC began assigning certain channels in specific geographic areas in the 1940s to
______.
A)
raise money for the war effort
B)
ensure that elections were covered fairly
C)
avoid signal interference among stations
D)
allow nonprofit groups to have access to TV
4.
Which of the following was not one of Sylvester “Pat” Weaver’s strategies for forcing
advertisers to relinquish some of their power over television programming?
A)
The introduction of magazine shows like the Today show
B)
The development of television specials, such as TV versions of Peter Pan
C)
The development of shorter ads to be sold to individual sponsors, known as spot
ads
D)
Decreasing the length of TV programs, allowing for fewer advertisements to go to
any one sponsor
5.
Which development was a consequence of the quiz-show scandal?
A)
The patent pool was declared a monopoly and dismantled.
B)
The networks could not keep control over programming, and the sponsors became
the sole authority.
C)
Quiz-show hosts were no longer allowed to have stock in the company.
D)
It undermined Americans’ belief in TV’s democratic promise.
Page 2
6.
Sketch comedy is a direct descendant of _____.
A)
vaudeville
B)
kinescope
C)
situation comedy
D)
No option is correct.
7.
In a television sitcom, character(s) _____.
A)
development is emphasized over plot twists
B)
change dramatically over the course of the series
C)
are under a great deal of stress
D)
solve a problem in each episode
8.
In its early days, television drama drew on _____ for many of its technicians, sets,
actors, and directors.
A)
the movies
B)
radio
C)
New York theater
D)
the music industry
9.
Anthologies did not last long on network TV because _____.
A)
advertisers did not like them
B)
it was demanding to produce a completely new story each week
C)
they mimicked the stage tradition dealing with heavy, complicated, and
controversial topics
D)
All options are correct.
10.
Grey’s Anatomy is an example of a(n) _____.
A)
anthology drama
B)
dramedy
C)
domestic comedy
D)
chapter show
11.
Cable television’s oldest premium cable channel is _____.
A)
HBO
B)
A&E
C)
CNN
D)
TBS
Page 3
12.
Which of the following is not an example of a channel found in a basic cable package?
A)
Local broadcast channels
B)
Nonbroadcast access channels
C)
HBO
D)
Superstations
13.
In TV history, the “network era” refers to which time period?
A)
Late 1950s to late 1970s
B)
1950s
C)
Early 1930s to early 1940s
D)
1980s
14.
Buoyed by the spirit of deregulation, the elimination of fin-syn and other rules opened
the door for major merger deals including:
A)
Disney’s purchase of ABC.
B)
AT&T’s purchase of DirecTV.
C)
Comcast purchase of NBC Universal.
D)
All options are correct.
15.
The development of satellites in the 1970s allowed cable to _____.
A)
carry more channels
B)
ensure better reception
C)
expand beyond small isolated communities
D)
All options are correct.
16.
A television station not affiliated with any network is called a(n) _____.
A)
independent station
B)
syndicate
C)
PBS station
D)
YouTube channel
17.
The FCC’s must-carry rules _____.
A)
required all cable operators to carry all local TV broadcasts
B)
established technical standards for cable broadcasts, regulating the signals carried
by cable systems
C)
blocked cable systems from bringing distant television stations into cities with
local stations
D)
All options are correct.
Page 4
18.
Some FCC officials and consumer groups maintain that cable systems _____.
A)
are common carriers because they control their content
B)
are electronic publishers because they are like phone companies
C)
are common carriers because they do not monitor content
D)
should have no regulations because of the First Amendment
19.
What is the most important ramification of the Telecommunications Act of 1996?
A)
It forbade telephone, radio, and TV industries from competing directly with one
another.
B)
It ended a media monopoly by splitting up regional phone companies,
long-distance carriers, and cable companies into distinct industries.
C)
It allowed regional phone companies, long-distance carriers, and cable operators to
enter and compete in one another’s markets.
D)
It forced digital satellite services to carry programming from local stations.
20.
The practice of recording shows and watching them later when it is more convenient is
called _____.
A)
fin-syn
B)
viewer’s choice
C)
time shifting
D)
stripping
21.
Fringe is the time _____.
A)
after the network’s late-night talk shows
B)
immediately before prime time
C)
when adult-content programs are scheduled
D)
after the network’s late-night talk shows and immediately before prime time
22.
The talk show Ellen is an example of _____.
A)
off-network syndication
B)
first-run syndication
C)
an evergreen
D)
hybrid syndication
23.
Below-the-line costs for a TV program include the _____.
A)
art directors
B)
cameras and crews
C)
electricians
D)
All options are correct.
Page 5
24.
Which term best describes the financial arrangement that most TV producers and movie
studios enter into to make prime-time TV shows?
A)
Joint funded
B)
Above-the-line costs
C)
Deficit financing
D)
Economy of scale
25.
An Idaho teenager named Philo T. Farnsworth is credited with transmitting the first TV
picture electronically.
A)
True
B)
False
26.
The quiz-show scandals of the late 1950s resulted from quiz shows‘ frequently accepting
incorrect answers from contestants and then covering up the mistakes.
A)
True
B)
False
27.
Many of the comedy program conventions in television actually came from radio.
A)
True
B)
False
28.
Only a few TV series from the 1950s have survived, and that is because they were
originally shot on film.
A)
True
B)
False
29.
Grey’s Anatomy and CSI are both examples of chapter shows.
A)
True
B)
False
30.
Public television was created by Congress to serve viewers whose interests were ignored
by commercial TV.
A)
True
B)
False
31.
CNN dominates international TV news coverage.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 6
32.
Concerned that cable television would undermine broadcast television, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) enacted rules limiting cable’s early growth.
A)
True
B)
False
33.
Must-carry rules require all cable operators to assign channels to and carry all local TV
broadcasts on their systems.
A)
True
B)
False
34.
In the landmark Midwest Video case, the U.S. Supreme Court defined the cable industry
as a form of electronic publishing and upheld their right to dictate their own content.
A)
True
B)
False
35.
Starting in 1999, the digital video recorder (DVR) rapidly replaced VCRs, and viewers
recorded shows on DVDs instead of VHS tapes.
A)
True
B)
False
36.
DBS (direct broadcast satellite) television services in the United States were first
developed in the 1940s, but did not become widely used until the 1970s.
A)
True
B)
False
37.
All syndicated programming consists of off-network reruns.
A)
True
B)
False
38.
In TV syndication, a barter deal involves exchanging a show for a percent of ad
revenue.
A)
True
B)
False
39.
Most television shows live or die by advertising.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 7
40.
A share gauges the percent of homes tuned to a program compared with those actually
using their sets at the time of the sample.
A)
True
B)
False
41.
An hour-long television newsmagazine show such as Dateline NBC and 60 Minutes
costs about twice as much to produce as a typical hour-long drama.
A)
True
B)
False
42.
Networks have the right to sell the bulk of advertising time (and run promotions of its
own programs) during the shows—which helps them recoup their investments.
A)
True
B)
False
43.
The major television networks—CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC—own most of their
affiliated stations.
A)
True
B)
False
44.
Despite the number of cable offerings, the four major traditional TV networks (ABC,
CBS, NBC, and FOX) have remained an attractive business investment.
A)
True
B)
False
45.
The development of cable, VCRs and DVD players, DVRs, the Internet, and
smartphone services has fragmented television’s audience.
A)
True
B)
False
46.
Although independently owned, _____ are local TV stations that contract with a
network to carry its programs.
47.
A 1950s technique for preserving television broadcasts by using a film camera to record
a live TV show off a studio monitor was called _____.
Page 8
48.
_____, a popular form of early TV programming that brought live dramatic theater to
television, borrowed heavily from live theater.
49.
Ted Turner revolutionized cable through his Atlanta-based station _____.
50.
WGN in Chicago and WPIX in New York are examples of _____.
51.
The FCC has mandated _____ in the nation’s top one hundred TV markets, requiring
cable systems to provide free nonbroadcast channels that local citizens, educators, and
governments could use.
52.
In television, _____ is any non-network program specifically produced for sale only into
syndication markets.
53.
Since 1950, _____ has been the major organization tracking and rating prime-time
viewing.
54.
When using _____, a production company leases the show to a network for a license fee
that is less than the cost of production, assuming it will recoup this loss later in lucrative
rerun syndication
55.
The development of cable, VCRs and DVD players, _____, the Internet, and
smartphone services has fragmented television’s audience by appealing to viewers’
individual and special needs.
56.
How did the sponsorship of network programs change during the 1950s?
57.
What is the difference between sketch comedy and situation comedy in television?
58.
What services does PBS provide, and how has it fared in comparison with the major
networks?
59.
What were the major threats to the television networks in the 1970s and 1980s?
Page 9
60.
How does the television industry make money?
61.
What are the differences between off-network and first-run syndication?
62.
How has new technology fragmented the television audience, and what are the
consequences for our society?
Answer Key
1.
B
2.
B
3.
C
4.
D
5.
D
6.
A
7.
D
8.
C
9.
D
10.
D
11.
A
12.
C
13.
A
14.
D
15.
D
16.
A
17.
A
18.
C
19.
C
20.
C
21.
D
22.
B
23.
D
24.
C
25.
A
26.
B
27.
A
28.
B
29.
A
30.
A
31.
A
32.
A
33.
A
34.
A
35.
A
36.
B
37.
B
38.
A
39.
A
40.
A
41.
B
42.
A
43.
B
44.
A
Page 11
45.
A
46.
affiliate stations
47.
kinescope
48.
Anthology dramas
49.
WTBS
50.
independent stations or superstations
51.
access channels
52.
first-run syndication
53.
Nielsen
54.
deficit financing
55.
DVRs or Digital video recorders
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.