Princ. of Mass Medias Ch 8

True

Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV system operator.

True

Concerned with the power that the Big Three networks had, the FCC enacted the Prime Time Access Rule.

False

DBS does not pose a significant threat to the cable industry.

Premium Channels

A tier of channels that subscribers can order at an additional monthly fee over their basic cable service is referred to as __________.

e. All of the options are correct.

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 where the installation of cable wires hasn't been possible. c. They have started to create their own programming, while 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 than cable. e. All of the options are correct.

False, he was in high school

Idahoan Philo Farnsworth is credited with transmitting the first TV picture electronically when he was only twenty-one years old.

a. required cable operators to carry local TV broadcasts

In 1965, the FCC established must-carry rules, which _________. a. required cable operators to carry 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 e. None of the above options is correct.

d. Financial Interest and Syndication Rules

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 e. None of the above options is correct.

c. access channels

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 e. superstations

Rating

In TV audience measurement, a __________ is a statistical estimate expressed as a percentage of households tuned to a program in the market being sampled.

False

In TV syndication, barter deals are usually arranged for new or untested shows.

a. character development is emphasized over plot twists

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 e. viewers consider themselves slightly inferior to the characters

d. New York theater

In its early days, television drama drew on __________ for many of its ideas, sets, actors, technicians, and directors. a. the music industry b. radio c. movies d. New York theater e. None of the above options is correct.

deficit financing

In television, __________ is the process whereby a TV production company leases its programs to a network for a license fee that is actually less than the cost of production.

d. the FCC declared a freeze on new licenses because of concerns about frequency-interference problems

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 e. the monopolies of a few television corporations prevented others from entering the field, putting a freeze on broadcasting competition

False

In the first years of television, cities that had operating television stations saw an increase in people going to movie theaters, more people going to nightclubs, and more people checking out library books.

True

In the landmark Midwest Video case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the cable industry was a form of electronic publishing with the same First Amendment rights as print magazines.

multiple

MSO stands for __________-system operator.

true

Many of the program conventions in television actually came from radio.

Headend-> processes signals received from program suppliers Trunk Cable->distributes signal around a community on utility poles Tap line-> runs from utility pole to subscriber's home

Match the elements of a cable TV system with their descriptions. Select One Match With Headend ⇢ADistributes signal around a community on utility poles Trunk cable ⇢BProcesses signals received from program suppliers Tap line ⇢CRuns from utility pole to subscriber's home

Breaking Bad-> hybrid drama Ted Turner-> hybrid drama Charles Van Doren-> quiz show scandal Sylvester "Pat" Weaver-> television specials

Match the names with the television terms and events they are most closely associated with. Select One Match With Breaking Bad ⇢ ATelevision specials Ted Turner ⇢ BHybrid drama Charles Van Doren ⇢ CWTBS Sylvester “Pat†Weaver ⇢ DQuiz-show scandals

True

Must-carry rules require cable operators to assign channels to and carry all local TV broadcasts on their systems.

Owned and Operated

O & Os refer to TV stations that are __________ by networks.

c. marketers and advertisers might be able to "see" what they watch

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 might be able to "see" what they watch d. they can only use them to record broadcast network programming, not cable programming e. DVRs can be unreliable and don't always record what you program them to record

b. CPM

Online advertisers pay a rate called a __________. a. share b. CPM c. retransmission fee d. software cost e. None of the above options is correct.

True

Only a few TV series from the 1950s have survived, and that is because these few were the only ones originally shot on film.

True

Rating refers to the percentage of households watching a given show out of all households watching television at a given moment in time.

False, cost less

Reality TV shows cost more for networks and cable to make than sitcoms or dramas.

I Love Lucy -> Evergreen Hulu.com-> Catch-up service Actors' Salaries-> Above-the-line cost Modern Family-> Domestic Comedy

Select from the following list of terms to match the item with the best answer. Some terms may be used more than once or not at all. Select One Match With I Love Lucy ⇢ AEvergreen Hulu.com ⇢ BDomestic comedy Actors' salaries ⇢ CAbove-the-line cost Modern Family ⇢ DCatch-up service

c. fourth screens

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 e. headends

True

Some U.S. cities are challenging privately owned cable giants by building competing, publicly owned cable systems.

False

Television has been praised as unbiased and removed from partisan politics.

False

The 1996 Telecommunications Act allows cable companies to offer telephone service, but the phone companies are not permitted to enter the cable TV business.

False

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 puts strict limits on the number of radio and TV stations any one company can own.

False

The ability to stream TV shows on fourth screens such as smartphones and the iPad hasn't changed consumers' viewing habits much.

c. enabled premium channels like HBO to be born

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 e. All of the options are correct.

False

The federal government funds 90 percent of public television's annual budget.

e. drop or tap line

The final part of the cable system that actually brings the cable into the home is called __________. a. feeder or trunk cable b. headend c. cathode ray tube d. fiber-optic cable e. drop or tap line

b. first-run syndication

The game show Wheel of Fortune is an example of __________. a. off-network syndication b. first-run syndication c. fringe time d. an O & O e. hybrid syndication

True

The narrative situation and complications in a sitcom are typically resolved by the end of the episode.

True

The quiz-show scandals of the 1950s provided the first indication that TV images could be manipulated.

False, rigged they were telling them the answers

The quiz-show scandals of the late 1950s resulted from quiz shows' frequently accepting incorrect answers from contestants and then covering up the mistakes.

True

The sale of spot ads within such shows as Today and TV specials like Peter Pan helped to end sponsor control of TV content.

True

Third screens typically function as "catch-up services," allowing consumers to watch TV shows or movies that played earlier.

affiliate stations

Though independently owned, __________ are radio or TV stations that sign a contract to carry its programs.

False

Time shifting refers to the delay of broadcast programs because of different time zones across the United States.

False

Today, with the advent of DVR, viewers are moving away from the trend of time shifting that affected advertisers in previous decades.

False

Under a cash-plus syndication deal, a TV station pays less for a popular syndicated show than it would under a straight cash deal.

True

Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, cable operators are allowed to offer telephone services.

b. VHS offered more tape space and could record longer programs

VHS outsold the technically superior Betamax videocassette format because __________. a. VHS offered high-definition playback b. VHS offered more tape space and could record longer programs c. more money was spent advertising the Betamax format than the VHS d. consumers couldn't tell the difference between the two formats e. All of the options are correct.

c. They acquired cable channels.

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. e. None of the above options is correct.

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.

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. 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. e. There is no difference between a common carrier and an electronic publisher.

e. None of the options was a strategy. He increased the length of television programs in order to raise costs of advertisers, discouraging them from sponsoring programs

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 the TV versions of Richard III and 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 e. None of the options was a strategy.

b. During fringe time

When might broadcast networks air syndicated programs? a. During prime time b. During fringe time c. During time shifting d. Only during the daytime e. Only during the evening

b. The networks couldn't keep control over programming, and the sponsors became the sole authority.

Which development was a consequence of the quiz-show scandal? 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. Quiz-show hosts were no longer allowed to have stock in the company. d. Quiz-show contestants had to be vetted by the show's sponsors first. e. None of the above options is correct.

e. HBO

Which of the following is a premium cable channel? a. ESPN b. CNN c. MTV d. C-SPAN e. HBO

b. Consolidation of regional phone, long-distance, cable, and Internet service companies has decreased competition and left consumers with high cable bills.

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 each other'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 almost $150 billion installing and upgrading its technological infrastructure in the United States. d. Cable companies now bundle digital cable television, Internet, and phone services. e. All of the options are true.

a. Selling the program into rerun, or off-network, syndication

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 c. Selling the program to individual affiliates d. Renting the program to the networks e. Time shifting

e. None of the options is false.

Which of the following statements about municipal cable television systems is false? 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. e. None of the options is false.

a. It would have lost all funding from the government if the Senate hadn't killed a 2011 effort by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. b. Public broadcasting hopes to increase corporate contributions with on-air promotional messages. c. One of its main missions continues to be providing educational children's programming. d. The bulk of the funding for public broadcasting comes from viewers; listeners; and corporations.

Which of the following statements about public broadcasting is true? a. It would have lost all funding from the government if the Senate hadn't killed a 2011 effort by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives. b. Public broadcasting hopes to increase corporate contributions with on-air promotional messages. c. One of its main missions continues to be providing educational children's programming. d. The bulk of the funding for public broadcasting comes from viewers; listeners; and corporations. Select all of the above that apply

d. Reality TV is much more expensive to make than typical comedies or dramas.

Which of the following statements about reality television is false? a. The genre includes programs like Survivor, Top Chef, and The Voice. b. The shows introduce us to characters/people who seem more like "us" and less like celebrities. c. The inspiration for reality TV can be traced to MTV's Real World. d. Reality TV is much more expensive to make than typical comedies or dramas. e. All of the options are true.

c. They remain attractive business investments despite losing viewers to cable and other new technologies.

Which of the following statements about the three traditional major broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) is true? a. Nobody watches them anymore. b. They are all owned by Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. c. They remain attractive business investments despite losing viewers to cable and other new technologies. d. They own all of the stations that carry their programming. e. None of the above options is correct.

False, community antenna television

CATV stands for "cable access television."

community

CATV stands for __________ antenna television.

False

CNN showed an immediate profit and met with widespread cultural success when Ted Turner introduced it in 1980.

True

Cable News Network (CNN) premiered in 1980.

True

Cable systems in the United States are increasingly owned by fewer and fewer companies, called multiple-system operators.

a. lets you watch episodes after they air on TV

A catch-up service __________. a. lets you watch episodes after they air on TV b. is an online fan site with plot descriptions c. refers only to DVD players d. usually refers to something you see in a movie theater e. None of the above options is correct.

True

A communication satellite that is in geosynchronous orbit circles the earth at the same speed at which the earth revolves on its axis.

Anthology Dramas

A popular form of early TV programming that brought live dramatic theater to television, __________ were influenced by stage plays.

True

A program's share is the percentage of TV sets tuned to the program in comparison to the overall number of TV sets in use at the time.

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs)

A relatively recent technology, __________ are devices that enable users to find and record specific television shows (and movies) and store them in computer memory to be played back at a later time.

b. From the very start of television, networks were concerned with keeping their news departments separate from big commercial sponsors like tobacco companies.

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 local television news is typically thought of as more trustworthy than newspapers. e. None of the above options is correct.

False

After completing its first five television episodes, an independently produced TV program no longer requires deficit financing to fund its production.

Telecommunications Act f 1996

After years of going back and forth on cable rates and rules, Congress enacted the __________ and brought cable fully under the federal rules that had long governed the telephone, radio, and TV industries.

True

An FCC study found that local cable TV companies that face competition have lower monthly rates than cable companies in noncompetitive markets.

a. off-network syndication

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 e. hybrid syndication

d. some were considered too controversial b. they were expensive to produce

Anthologies were replaced by other types of programming in the 1950s because __________. a. advertisers didn't like anthologies b. they were expensive to produce c. the television audience changed as it expanded d. some were considered too controversial Select all of the above that apply

False

As a result of the number and diversity of cable offerings, the major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) have lost a significant portion of the viewer base they had prior to 1980.

True

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.

False

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.

b. camera crew

Below-the-line costs for a TV program include the __________. a. writer b. camera crew c. actors d. director e. All of the options are correct.

True

Between 1948 and 1952, no new licenses were issued to construct and operate TV stations in the United States.

True

Cable systems that operate as common carriers are required by law to approve the content of all programs they provide their subscribers.

a. caused the FCC to temporarily ban any new TV licenses in the late 1940s and early 1950s b. meant that it took over a decade before all three of the major networks started broadcasting in color in the mid-1960s c. resulted in a "war" between the Beta and VHS formats of home videocassette recorders d. resulted in a "war" between Blu-ray and HD DVD formats for high-definition movie recordings

Differences in, and competition over, technical standards __________. a. caused the FCC to temporarily ban any new TV licenses in the late 1940s and early 1950s b. meant that it took over a decade before all three of the major networks started broadcasting in color in the mid-1960s c. resulted in a "war" between the Beta and VHS formats of home videocassette recorders d. resulted in a "war" between Blu-ray and HD DVD formats for high-definition movie recordings Select all of the above that apply

a. 22 million

During the 2012-2013 season, NCIS on CBS drew an average audience of about __________. a. 22 million b. 20 million c. 25 million d. 15 million e. 18 million

False

Evergreens are TV shows that are currently popular.

True

Few children's programs are aired on network television because most advertisers are less interested in reaching that audience.

b. older programs that no longer run during network prime time

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 e. All of the options are correct.

e. None of the above options is correct. deficit financing

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. Economy of scale e. None of the above options is correct.

b. Philo Farnsworth

Who transmitted the first electronic TV picture? a. John Grierson b. Philo Farnsworth c. Vladimir Zworykin d. Thomas Edison e. None of the above options is correct.

d. Cable's clearer signal and ability to target niche audiences attracted viewers away from their programming.

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. d. Cable's clearer signal and ability to target niche audiences attracted viewers away from their programming. e. Broadcasters never felt threatened by cable.

False

With the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1967, nonprofit radio and television stations no longer had to ask their audiences for financial support.

Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)

__________, satellite-based services that for a monthly fee downlink hundreds of television channels, began distributing video programming directly to households in 1994.

b. Daytime soap operas

__________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 e. Anthology dramas