MCOM Chapter 8

What is a "barter" deal? 1. Networks might make cash deals or give a program to a local station in exchange for a split in the advertising revenue 2. None of the options are correct 3. Networks agree to air a new show in exchange for the right to air a popular show 4. Networks pay for a syndicated program.

1. Networks might make cash deals or give a program to a local station in exchange for a split in the advertising revenue Networks might make cash deals—selling shows to the highest-bidding local station—or give a program to a local station in exchange for a split in the advertising revenue—usually called a barter deal, as no money changes hands.

Which statement about prime-time advertising is NOT true? 1. Shows that did not attract enough advertising dollars were typically moved to a different time slot 2. Prime-time advertisements are aimed at eighteen to forty-nine year old viewers 3. Basic cable advertisements reach a smaller audience 4. Advertisers compete to buy time for a program that attracts the most viewers in their age demographic

1. Shows that did not attract enough advertising dollars were typically moved to a different time slot While a show may be moved to a different time slow, traditionally, shows that did not reach enough of the "right" viewers wouldn't attract advertising dollars and thus risk being cancelled

Cora set her DVR to record for different shows at four different times. Which of the shows that Cora is recording runs during prime time? 1. The Big Bang Theory, Thursday at 8:00pm 2. General Hospital, Tuesday at 2:00pm 3. Tonight Show, Wednesday at 11:35pm 4. Good Morning America, Friday at 7:00am

1. The Big Bang Theory, Thursday at 8:00pm Prime time is a block of time (7-11 PM EST) with larger viewer audiences. The Big Bang Theory is considered a prime time show as it airs at 8:00pm, during the prime time block

Darius enjoys a wide variety of TV programs, ranging from police procedurals to science fiction to soap operas to westerns. Although many of the shows Darius watches are episodic, one of his favorite shows is a serial program that he sets his DVR to record because he knows he'll be lost if he misses an episode. Which of Darius's favorite programs is a serial program? 1. The Young and the Restless 2. Grey's Anatomy 3. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 4. Sleepy Hollow

1. The Young and the Restless The Young and the Restless is considered a serial program because most of its story lines continue from episode to episode

The first person to transmit an electronic TV picture was _____ 1. an Idaho teenager 2. a Russian immigrant 3. an RCA employee 4. a New York housewife

1. an Idaho teenager Television's development and commercialization were fueled by a battle over patents between two independent inventors—Vladimir Zworykin and Philo Farnsworth—each seeking a way to send pictures through the air over long distances. In 1928, Farnsworth—an Idaho teenager—transmitted the first electronic TV picture by rotating a straight line scratched on a square of painted glass by 90 degrees.

In an episodic series: 1. main characters continue from week to week 2. different technical crews work on each episode 3. the story is fact based 4. each new episode features a new set

1. main characters continue from week to week In this format (episodic series), main characters continue from week to week, sets and locales remain the same, and technical crews stay with the program

The first television show to be shot by filming each episode was _____ 1. None of the options are correct 2. I Love Lucy 3. What's My Line 4. Perry Como Show

2. I Love Lucy The producers of I Love Lucy decided to preserve their comedy series by filming each episode, like a movie. This produced a high-quality version of each show that could be played back as a rerun.

How many cable networks were in business in 2014? 1. Almost ninety 2. More than nine hundred 3. None of the options are correct 4. Slightly less than five hundred

2. More than nine hundred In 1992, eighty-seven cable networks were in business. By 2014, that number had grown to over nine hundred.

Marcia primarily watches television during the day, so many of the programs that she watches are syndicated. Which show that Marcia regularly watches is an example of an evergreen? 1. Wheel of Fortune 2. Seinfeld 3. The Ellen DeGeneres Show 4. Dr. Phil

2. Seinfeld An evergreen is a popular old network rerun, such as Seinfeld, The Big Bang Theory, or Modern Family

How did the quiz-show scandal of the 1950s affect television viewers? 1. Viewers demanded that networks hand over creative control of TV programs to advertisers 2. Viewers realized that TV was not always presenting honest information 3. Viewers began to view television as a form of highbrow entertainment 4. Viewers did not care about the scandal and demanded that quiz shows be brought back

2. Viewers realized that TV was not always presenting honest information When investigations exposed the rigging, the fraud undermined Americans' belief in television's democratic promise - to bring inexpensive, honest information and entertainment into every household

The Internet provides _____ 1. advertisement-free TV programming 2. alternative forms of TV programming 3. None of the options are correct 4. all original TV programming

2. alternative forms of TV programming Today, the promise that cable once offered as a place for alternative programming and noncommercial voices is being usurped by the Internet, where all kinds of TV experiments are under way.

Early television that was preserved was shot via _____ 1. stereoscope 2. kinescope 3. None of the options are correct 4. film

2. kinescope Originally, many new programs on television were broadcast live and are therefore lost to us today. The networks did sometimes manage to save early 1950s shows through poor-quality kinescopes, made by using a film camera to record live TV shows off a studio monitor.

The quiz show scandal of the late 1950s resulted in _____ 1. magnifying the separation between the privileged, powerful few (wealthy companies) and the general public 2. the undermining of Americans' belief in TV's democratic promise 3. All of the options are correct 4. keeping quiz shows out of the prime time block of time

3. All of the options are correct In the late 1950s, corruption in an increasingly popular TV program format—quiz shows—tainted television's reputation and further altered the power balance between broadcast networks and program sponsors. When investigations exposed the rigging the fraud undermined Americans' belief in television's democratic promise—to bring inexpensive, honest information and entertainment into every household. The scandals had magnified the separation between the privileged, powerful few (wealthy companies) and the general public. For the next forty years, the broadcast networks kept quiz shows out of prime time—the block of time (7-11 P.M. EST) with large viewer audiences.

Which of the following types of television programs feature self-contained stories that end in a resolution? 1. All of the options are correct. 2. Serial 3. Chapter 4. Soap opera

3. Chapter Chapter shows are self-contained stories that feature a problem, a series of conflicts, and a resolution.

The standard for the color television system was developed by _____ 1. PBS 2. CBS 3. RCA 4. NBC

3. RCA In 1954, RCA's color system, which sent TV images in color but allowed older sets to receive the images as black-and-white, became the color standard.

How did the Federal Communications Commision's Financial Interest and Syndication Rules (known as fin-syn rules) affect the TV networks? 1. They were forced to air more educational programming 2. They began airing quiz shows during prime time, which had lower production costs 3. Their profits dropped because they could no longer charge certain fees 4. They retaliated by airing reruns of canceled shows during prime time

3. Their profits dropped because they could no longer charge certain fees In 1970, the FCC created the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules - called fin-syn - which banned the networks from running their own syndication companies and thus reduced their ability to reap profits from syndicating old TV series

Why did TV executives increase program length from fifteen minutes to thirty minutes or longer in the 1950s? 1. They realized it was cheaper to produce one thirty-minute show than two fifteen-minute shows 2. They hoped to increase viewership by running longer shows 3. They wanted to gain greater creative control over their programs 4. They believed that longer TV shows would make TV schedules less confusing for viewers

3. They wanted to gain greater creative control over their programs Newly emerging broadcast networks wanted more control and, using several strategies, set out to diminish sponsor and ad agency control. One strategy involved lengthening program times

In TV measurement, a rating is _____ 1. None of the options are correct. 2. the percentage of TVs turned on 3. a statistical estimate of TV households watching a show in the total sample market 4. the percentage of advertising minutes

3. a statistical estimate of TV households watching a show in the total sample market In TV measurement, a rating is a statistical estimate based on a random sample, expressed as the percentage of households tuned to a program in the total market being sampled.

By how much time did the Prime Time Access Rule reduce network's control of prime-time programming? 1. a half hour 2. two hours 3. one hour 4. three hours

3. one hour The Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR), introduced in April 1970, reduced networks' control of prime-time programming from four to three hours in an effort to encourage more local news and public affairs programs, usually slated for the 6-7 P.M. EST time block.

How many Americans owned a television set in 1948? 1. 5 percent 2. 10 percent 3. 50 percent 4. 1 percent

4. 1 percent In 1948, only 1 percent of Americans owned a television set

What emerging technology had the biggest impact on cable before the arrival of digital streaming? 1. DVR 2. DVD 3. None of the options are correct 4. DBS

4. DBS Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) has long been the biggest challenger to the cable industry—at least until digital streaming appeared on the scene.

Starting in 1999, _____ rapidly replaced VCRs 1. satellite cable 2. DVDs 3. digital television 4. DVR (digital video recorders)

4. DVR (digital video recorder) Starting in 1999, the digital video recorder (DVR) rapidly replaced VCRs, and viewers recorded shows on DVDs instead of VHS tapes.

Why was the number of TV stations that a city or market could support limited in the early days of television? 1. Competition from radio and movies made television too risky as a business investment 2. With relatively few viewers, television was deemed an unprofitable business 3. Broadcasting monopolies quickly shut down competitors in major markets 4. If frequencies were too close on the channel dial, they interfered with each other

4. If frequencies were too close on the channel dial, they interfered with each other In the early days of television, and before the advent of cable, the number of TV stations a city or region could support was limited because airwave frequencies interfered with one another (so you could have a Channel 5 but not a Channel 6 in the same market)

What is considered the legacy of the Telecommunications Act of 1996? 1. It spurred competition and lower rates for consumers 2. It helped keep prices at a premium 3. It allowed cable and phone companies to merge operations in many markets. 4. It allowed cable and phone companies to merge operations in many markets, and it helped keep prices at a premium.

4. It allowed cable and phone companies to merge operations in many markets, and it helped keep prices at a premium The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which took away a number of ownership restrictions from radio and television and also brought cable fully under federal oversight, treating the industry like broadcasting. In its most significant move, Congress used the Telecommunications Act to knock down regulatory barriers. By allowing regional phone companies, long-distance carriers, and cable companies to enter one another's markets, lawmakers hoped to spur competition and lower rates for consumers. Instead, cable and phone companies have merged operations in many markets, keeping prices at a premium. The Telecommunications Act laid the legal groundwork necessary for these mergers to happen.

Gareth is an avid television viewer who watches many different types of programs. Which of the programs that Gareth watches regularly is a magazine program? 1. Modern Family 2. 60 Minutes 3. Game of Thrones 4. Today

4. Today The first type - the magazine format - featured multiple segments, including news, talk, comedy, and music. These early-1950s programs - "Today" and "The Tonight Show" - are still attracting morning and late-evening audiences

In 1956 the CBS-TV News became the first _____ 1. None of the options are correct 2. to cancel all of its contracts with affiliate television stations 3. to develop the 24/7 news cycle 4. news show videotaped for rebroadcast in central and western time zones on affiliate stations

4. news show videotaped for rebroadcast in central and western time zones on affiliate stations

Imagine that you owned a CATV service in the early days of cable television and were speaking to a prospective customer. Which argument could you make to convince the person to sign up for your cable service? 1. "Our service offers better reception than your standard TV antenna." 2. "Our service offers up to thirty-five channels." 3. "Our service is completely wireless." 4. "Our service is less expensive than over-the-air signals."

1. "Our service offers better reception than your standard TV antenna." CATV routed each channel in a separate wire, thereby eliminating the over-the-air interference that sometimes happened with broadcast transmissions

In addition to offering cable, Internet, and other services under the Xfinity brand, Comcast owns numerous cable channels including _____ 1. All of the options are correct 2. Bravo 3. E! 4. USA

1. All of the options are correct In addition to offering cable, Internet, and other services under the Xfinity brand, Comcast owns numerous cable channels, such as E!, Bravo, and USA, as well as all the NBC news, sports, and television stations and cable channels.

MTV is notable because it _____ 1. All of the options are correct. 2. began featuring diverse music forms early in its history 3. created early reality shows, like The Real World 4. sponsors Rock the Vote campaigns that encourage political activism among young adults

1. All of the options are correct MTV initially played popular music videos from mainstream white artists for white suburban teens; however, the popularity of Michael Jackson's Thriller album in late 1982 opened MTV up to black artists and more diverse music forms. Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, MTV began providing more original programming with shows like The Real World. MTV's special programs on important social issues, such as drug addiction, racism, and social/political activism—especially its Rock the Vote campaigns, which encourage young people to participate in national elections.

What is first-run syndication? 1. Any non-network program specifically produced for sale only into syndication markets 2. An older program made available as reruns to local stations, cable operators, online services, and foreign markets 3. None of the options are correct 4. A contract that gives a local station the right to show network-created game shows, talk shows, or other programs only during prime time

1. Any non-network program specifically produced for sale only into syndication markets First-run syndication is any non-network program specifically produced for sale only into syndication markets, such as the Ellen or Wheel of Fortune.

Which two companies control virtually all of the DBS service in the continental U.S.? 1. DirecTV and DISH Network 2. Comcast and TimeWarner 3. HBO and Showtime 4. NBC Universal and ABC/Disney

1. DirecTV and DISH Network In the DBS market, Dish and DirectTV control virtually all the DBS service in the continental United States.

How does time shifting hurt the traditional TV business model? 1. It allows viewers to skip over advertisements when they watch recorded programs 2. It encourages viewers to "channel surf" during commercials 3. It eliminates the need for broadcast and cable television as a form of entertainment and information 4. It makes it difficult for networks to identify which programs are popular

1. It allows viewers to skip over advertisements when they watch recorded programs Both time shifting and rentals/streaming have threatened the TV industry's advertising-driven business model: When viewers watch DVDs and stream TV shows, they aren't watching the ads that normally accompany network and cable programming