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31. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was a mixed bag for cable customers. Although cable
companies argued that it would bring more competition, about 60 percent of communities in the
United States still have only one local cable company.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
32. An FCC study found that local cable TV companies that face competition have lower
monthly rates than cable companies in noncompetitive markets.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
33. The triple play is what cable companies call sports programming.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
34. After completing its first five television episodes, an independently produced TV program no
longer requires deficit financing to fund its production.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
35. Evergreens are TV shows that are currently popular.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
36. Under a cash-plus syndication deal, a TV station pays less for a popular syndicated show
than it would under a straight cash deal.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
37. In TV syndication, barter deals are usually arranged for new or untested shows.
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a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
38. In TV measurement, a rating is a statistical estimate, a percentage, of households tuned to a
program in the market sample.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
39. Niche markets target smaller audiences, not the broad public.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
40. At the network era’s peak, a prime-time series with a rating of 17 or 18 and a share of
between 28 and 30 was generally a success.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
41. Audience measurement isn’t particularly useful to advertisers because it only tells them how
many people are watching a particular program, not what kind of people.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
42. Cable systems in the United States are increasingly owned by fewer and fewer companies,
called multiple-system operators.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
43. Comcast is the nation’s largest cable TV system operator.
a.
True
b.
False
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ANSWER:
a
44. Some U.S. cities are challenging privately owned cable giants by building competing,
publicly owned cable systems.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
45. Who transmitted the first electronic TV picture?
a.
John Grierson
b.
Philo Farnsworth
c.
Vladimir Zworykin
d.
Thomas Edison
ANSWER:
b
46. In the TV freeze of 1948–1952, _____.
a.
the FCC halted technological experiments in order to decide on a workable model for
American color television
b.
a number of television stations froze new programming in order to make decisions
about sponsorship issues and advertising
c.
advertisers boycotted television programming as a way of ensuring their own
monopolies
d.
the FCC declared a freeze on new licenses because of concerns about frequency-
interference problems
ANSWER:
d
47. 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 music-variety shows and a TV version
of Peter Pan
c.
the development of spot ads—shorter ads to be sold to individual sponsors
d.
decreasing the length of television programs, allowing for fewer advertisements to go
to any one sponsor
ANSWER:
d
48. Which development was not a consequence of the quiz-show scandal?
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a.
The patent pool was declared a monopoly and dismantled.
b.
The networks couldn’t keep control over programming, and the sponsors became the
sole authority.
c.
TV images could not be manipulated.
d.
Quiz-show contestants had to be vetted by the show’s sponsors first.
ANSWER:
c
49. The first small cable systems—called CATV, or community antenna television—originated
in the late 1940s in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and New York City, where _____ blocked TV
signals.
a.
mountains or tall buildings
b.
competing signals
c.
scrambled signals
d.
radio waves
ANSWER:
a
50. The development of satellites in the 1970s _____.
a.
brought an end to the franchising frenzy
b.
encouraged competition between K-band and C-band technologies
c.
enabled premium channels like HBO to be born
d.
made the FCC instigate must-carry rules
ANSWER:
c
51. Which of the following is a way cable channels have achieved success?
a.
by creating programs that target the largest possible mass audience
b.
by avoiding being “bundled” with other channels as part of a package deal
c.
by finding and catering to the needs of a niche audience with specific interests
d.
by emulating broadcast network programming
ANSWER:
c
52. Why have TV broadcasters been threatened by cable?
a.
Cable systems have better satellites.
b.
Cable systems might choose not to carry the signal of a local broadcast station.
c.
Since cable’s inception, the FCC has favored the cable industry over the broadcasting
industry.
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d.
Cable’s clearer signal and ability to target niche audiences attracted viewers away
from their programming.
ANSWER:
d
53. Which of the following is a premium cable channel?
a.
ESPN
b.
CNN
c.
MTV
d.
HBO
ANSWER:
d
54. How have direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services challenged cable?
a.
They offer a lot more stations than cable.
b.
They are able to send signals directly to small satellite dishes in places where the
installation of cable wires hasn’t been possible.
c.
They have started to create their own programming, whereas cable still only shows
reruns of old network programs.
d.
They have a better relationship with broadcast networks than cable does and thus have
lower retransmission fees.
ANSWER:
b
55. Videocassette recorders _____.
a.
offered a low-quality playback
b.
were ruled illegal in federal court
c.
were a failure because of the expense
d.
enabled viewers to tape-record TV programs and play them back later
ANSWER:
d
56. One potential drawback for consumers who use a DVR (digital video recorder) is that _____.
a.
they have to be at home to press “record” in order to tape a program
b.
they can’t skip past commercials
c.
marketers and advertisers are able to “see” what they watch
d.
they can use them only to record broadcast network programming, not cable
programming
ANSWER:
c
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57. 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.
syndicating
ANSWER:
c
58. A third screen is _____.
a.
television
b.
a movie screen
c.
a computer screen
d.
on a smartphone
ANSWER:
c
59. Smartphones, iPads, and other mobile devices used to watch videos are sometimes referred to
as _____.
a.
first screens
b.
time shifting
c.
fourth screens
d.
off-network
ANSWER:
c
60. In a situation comedy, _____.
a.
character development is emphasized over plot twists
b.
characters change dramatically over the course of the series
c.
characters are under a great deal of stress
d.
viewers consider themselves slightly smarter than the characters
ANSWER:
d
61. In its early days, television drama drew on ______ for many of its ideas, sets, technicians,
actors, and directors.
a.
the music industry
b.
radio
c.
movies
d.
New York theater
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ANSWER:
d
62. Which of the following is not one of the reasons anthologies had only a brief run as a staple
on television in the 1950s?
a.
Their stories were too simplistic.
b.
They were expensive to produce.
c.
The television audience changed as it expanded.
d.
Some were considered too controversial.
ANSWER:
a
63. ______ are one of the longest-running serial programs in the history of television.
a.
Workplace comedies
b.
Daytime soap operas
c.
Sitcoms
d.
Hybrid dramas
ANSWER:
b
64. According to the textbook, which of the following statements about television news is true?
a.
There have been relatively few changes to the television news industry since the start
of the 24/7 cable news channels.
b.
From the very start of television, networks were concerned with keeping their news
departments separate from big commercial sponsors like tobacco companies.
c.
ABC News was the first news program to be aired by a major television network.
d.
Since the 1960s, national polls have shown that local television news is typically
thought of as more trustworthy than newspapers.
ANSWER:
d
65. Which of the following statements about reality television is not true?
a.
The genre includes programs like Survivor, Top Chef, and The Voice.
b.
The shows introduce us to characters and people who seem more “like us” and less
like celebrities.
c.
The inspiration for reality TV can be traced to MTV’s The Real World.
d.
Reality TV is much more expensive to make than typical comedies or dramas.
ANSWER:
d
66. Which of the following statements about public broadcasting is not true?
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a.
Only about 15 percent of funding for public broadcasting has come from the federal
government.
b.
PBS began inserting promotional messages into some of its programs in 2011.
c.
One of its main missions continues to curtail educational children’s programming.
d.
The bulk of the funding for public broadcasting comes from viewers, listeners, and
corporations.
ANSWER:
c
67. In 1970, the FCC created the ______, which “constituted the most damaging attack against
the network TV monopoly in FCC history.“
a.
Prime Time Access Rule
b.
must-carry rules
c.
access channels
d.
Financial Interest and Syndication Rules
ANSWER:
d
68. In 1965, the FCC established must-carry rules, which ______.
a.
required all cable operators to assign channels to and 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.
blocked cable operators from carrying local TV broadcasts
ANSWER:
a
69. In 1972, the FCC required cable systems to provide and fund a tier of ______ dedicated to
local education, government, and the public.
a.
DBS services
b.
must-carry rules
c.
access channels
d.
pay-per-view channels
ANSWER:
c
70. What is the difference between a common carrier and an electronic publisher?
a.
A common carrier may examine content before distributing it; an electronic publisher
may not.
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b.
A common carrier is not allowed to import any foreign programming; an electronic
publisher may.
c.
A common carrier may not transmit video images; an electronic publisher can send
both analog and digital images.
d.
A common carrier must offer at least part of its services on a first-come, first-served
basis; an electronic publisher can pick and choose its channels.
ANSWER:
d
71. Which of the following is not true about the aftermath of the Telecommunications Act of
1996?
a.
Competition from allowing regional and long-distance phone companies as well as
cable companies into one another’s markets has kept cable rates low.
b.
Consolidation of regional phone, long-distance, cable, and Internet service companies
has decreased competition and left consumers with high cable bills.
c.
The cable industry has spent $275 billion installing and upgrading its technological
infrastructure in the United States.
d.
Cable companies now bundle digital cable television, Internet, and phone services.
ANSWER:
a
72. Below-the-line costs for a TV program include the ______.
a.
writer
b.
camera crew
c.
actors
d.
director
ANSWER:
b
73. Which term best describes the financial arrangement that most TV producers and movie
studios enter into to make prime-time TV shows?
a.
Prime Time Access Rule
b.
above-the-line costs
c.
below-the-line costs
d.
deficit financing
ANSWER:
d
74. Which of the following is the best way to erase the losses of deficit financing for a TV show?
a.
selling the program into rerun, or off-network, syndication
b.
selling national and local advertising spots
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c.
selling the program to individual affiliates
d.
renting the program to the networks
ANSWER:
a
75. When might broadcast networks air syndicated programs?
a.
during prime time
b.
during fringe time
c.
during time shifting
d.
only during the daytime
ANSWER:
b
76. Programs that are in off-network syndication are ______.
a.
programs that were made specifically for syndication
b.
older programs that no longer run during network prime time
c.
programs that are produced by broadcast networks for cable channels
d.
programs that are too risqué for network television
ANSWER:
b
77. An airing of the television show Friends on Fox at 6:30 P.M. is an example of ______.
a.
off-network syndication
b.
first-run syndication
c.
video-on-demand
d.
an O & O
ANSWER:
a
78. The game show Wheel of Fortune is an example of ______.
a.
off-network syndication
b.
first-run syndication
c.
fringe time
d.
hybrid syndication
ANSWER:
b
79. During the 2017–18 season, NCIS on CBS drew an average audience of about ______.
a.
22 million
b.
20 million
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c.
25 million
d.
16 million
ANSWER:
d
80. Online advertisers pay a rate called a ______.
a.
share
b.
CPM
c.
retransmission fee
d.
software cost
ANSWER:
b
81. What did major networks do to combat audience erosion in the 1990s?
a.
They threatened not to allow cable operators to carry any of their programming.
b.
They started making edgier and more controversial programming.
c.
They acquired cable channels.
d.
They acquired cable operators.
ANSWER:
c
82. After suffering through years of rising rates and limited expansion of services, some small
U.S. cities have decided to ______.
a.
give up cable
b.
buy stronger antennas
c.
build competing, publicly owned cable systems
d.
use streaming services
ANSWER:
c
83. Which of the following statements about municipal cable television systems is not true?
a.
Communities can build their own municipal cable systems.
b.
Consumers in cities with municipal cable systems typically pay less for cable.
c.
There are only about a hundred municipal cable services across the country.
d.
In most cases, municipal cable systems are operated by community-owned nonprofit
electric utilities.
ANSWER:
c