CHAPTER 2
TEST ITEMS
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Multiple-Choice Questions
1. One technical antecedent for America’s broadcasting system is
a. urbanization.
b. railroads.
2. Who first proved James Clerk Maxwell’s theory about the existence of sound waves?
a. Lee de Forest
3. Marconi first offered his wireless invention to the __________ government, which declined his offer.
e. British
4. Wireless communication was most widely used at first by the __________ industry.
a. manufacturing
b. railroad
5. After World War I, wireless’ development was dominated by
d. the shipping industry.
e. railroads.
6. The person who made the first known radiotelephone transmission (or broadcast) is
d. David Sarnoff.
e. Edwin Armstrong.
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7. Which branch of the military wanted to make radio a permanent government monopoly?
a. The Army
b. The Coast Guard
8. RCA was founded initially to
a. run the American system of broadcasting.
9. American Marconi’s assets became the foundation for
e. Western Electric.
10. When AT&T began station WEAF in 1922, how did it expect to make a profit?
a. By imposing a tax on all radio receivers.
11. Both “toll” and “chain” broadcasting were initially associated with
d. Westinghouse.
e. NBC.
12. During the early years of American broadcasting, radio advertising was
a. prohibited by order of the Secretary of Commerce.
b. quickly adopted as an important source of financial support.
13. As conflicts arose between the “telephone” and the “radio” groups, the latter formed a network by
using
a. submarine cables.
b. microwave relays.
14. The first company organized solely and specifically to operate a broadcasting network was
a. ABC.
b. CBS.
15. The man responsible for designing a unique arrangement between his network and its affiliate radio
stations (including free sustaining services) was
a. Frank Conrad.
16. In the mid-1920s as a series of radio conferences proposed federal government regulation of radio,
what was the reaction of most broadcasters?
a. Strong opposition
b. Mild opposition
17. The Radio Act of 1927 did all of the following EXCEPT
a. adopt most recommendations of Hoover’s Fourth Radio Conference.
b. provide what most broadcasters wanted.
18. FCC chain regulations of 1941 were designed to
a. relax FCC network regulation.
19. The first nationally popular radio network series was
e. Fibber McGee and Molly.
20. Which organization was created to challenge the ASCAP music monopoly?
a. FCC
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21. The network that set radio’s standard for journalism in its coverage during World War II was
a. NBC Blue.
b. NBC Red.
22. Who invented the image dissector?
a. Lee de Forest
23. RCA’s television demonstration at the 1939 New York World’s Fair was significant because
a. it introduced regular transcontinental television broadcasting.
b. The FCC agreed to technical standards for commercial operations.
24. Why didn’t television begin to grow immediately after World War II?
a. Investors were cautious about building expensive TV stations while others believed development
d. channels reserved for noncommercial use.
e. assignment of channels to specific markets.
26. In terms of transmission and reception, UHF television stations had __________ VHF television
stations.
a. fewer problems than
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27. The color television system compatible with existing black-and-white television receivers was
developed by
a. CBS laboratories.
28. Television’s live decade, often called its “golden age,” ended around
a. 1952.
29. Among many important ideas instituted by Sylvester “Pat” Weaver are all of the following EXCEPT
a. spectaculars.
30. It would be safe to say that radio was saved in the 1950s by
a. advertisers.
b. country music.
31. Edwin Armstrong is most closely associated with
a. Audion.
32. The FCC’s nonduplication rule assisted expansion of
a. AM radio.
True/False Questions
1. Urban concentration, education, rising literacy, and more leisure time helped transform newspapers
3. James Clerk Maxwell proved Hertz’s theory by generating and detecting radio energy and measuring
6. Despite many other claims based on earlier experiments, demonstrations, or temporary operations,
8. David Sarnoff pioneered innovative network/affiliate contracts that became standard practices for
9. In the 1920s Herbert Hoover called four radio conferences in an attempt to get broadcasters to
10. Audiences relied on radio during the Great Depression to distract them from daily struggles of
12. In 1931, NBC began regular broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and hired Arturo Toscannini in the
14. During World War II, radio’s public stature declined through its poor reporting from various
15. Norman Corwin and Arch Oboler won fame as battlefield correspondents during World War II.
16. Technical standards and unsophisticated technology delayed the development of television until the
19. The FCC’s Sixth Report and Order effectively limited television to three networks, because too few
20. When television became popular in the 1950s, Hollywood immediately embraced it as another means
23. Edwin Armstrong invented FM, which was approved by the FCC in 1941 but saw only limited
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24. The nonduplication rules required AM/FM owners to program FM stations independently of AM
Essay Questions
1. List and explain at least three preconditions leading to radio broadcasting.
2. How did big business influence development of radio broadcasting?
3. Contrast the claims of Fessenden and de Forest to “fathering” broadcasting.
4. List five criteria qualifying KDKA as the oldest U.S. radio broadcasting station.
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