Deck 7: Noncommercial Services

Question 1

Which radio facilities are currently reserved to meet educational needs?

A)Ten channels at the high end of the AM band.
B)Twenty channels at the high end of the AM band.
C)Five channels at the low end of the FM band.
D)Twenty channels at the low end of the FM band.
E)Ten channels at the high end of the AM band and twenty channels at the low end of the FM band.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The FCC first reserved channels for noncommercial stations

A)in 1925, immediately after broadcasting became popular.
B)in 1932, to help out during the depression.
C)in 1941, with the development of FM radio.
D)in 1952, as a part of the Sixth Report and Order.
E)in 1967, after passage of the Public Broadcasting Act.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The landmark __________ Commission report of 1967 proposed that Congress establish a corporation for public television.

A)Annenberg
B)Carnegie
C)NET
D)ETV
E)JCET

Answer 3

B

Question 4

From 1974 to 1989 much of the PBS national program schedule came through

A)CPB.
B)Ford Foundation.
C)Public Television Program Network.
D)Station Program Cooperative.
E)Annenberg Foundation.

Question 5

Most program distribution for NPR and PBS is accomplished by

A)coaxial cables only.
B)microwave relays only.
C)satellites.
D)audio and video tapes.
E)coaxial cable and microwave relays.

Question 6

Which of the following best explains NPR's financial support?

A)NPR pays the stations to carry its programs.
B)The stations pay NPR for program service.
C)The stations pay CPB for the right to air NPR's programs.
D)No money exchanges hands because NPR is funded by the federal government.
E)No money exchanges hands because NPR is funded entirely through foundations and underwriting.

Question 7

The majority of noncommercial radio stations are licensed to

A)state and municipal governments.
B)institutions of higher learning.
C)public school systems.
D)community groups.
E)the federal government.

Question 8

The majority of noncommercial radio licensees

A)are classified as CPB-supported stations.
B)receive funding from NPR.
C)operate at least 12-18 hours per day.
D)were once CPB-qualified stations.
E)are not NPR members.

Question 9

What is the largest single source of funding for public broadcasting?

A)Federal tax funds
B)Grants from foundations
C)Membership
D)Corporate donations
E)Commercial underwriting

Question 10

Financial support for noncommercial broadcasting has always

A)been a problem.
B)come willingly from Congress.
C)come completely from corporations in search of a tax write-off.
D)come from taxation of use of the airwaves by commercial stations.
E)come from renting station facilities to commercial enterprises.

Question 11

Beginning in 1981, __________ supervised a 15-month experiment with commercials as a means of support for public broadcasting.

A)PBS
B)TCAF
C)Educational Television Facilities Act
D)JCET
E)Congress

Question 12

Without the backing of the __________ Foundation, educational television might not have survived its first decade.

A)Annenberg
B)Carnegie
C)Chrysler
D)Ford
E)SPC

Question 13

Enhanced underwriting, or "almost commercials," have been

A)fully accepted by all involved with public broadcasting.
B)accepted by some and criticized by others.
C)banned totally by the FCC.
D)banned only for children's programming.
E)shown to provide no measurable increase in financial support.

Question 14

Almost __________ of PBS programs had at least some overseas connection.

A)10 percent
B)20 percent
C)30 percent
D)40 percent
E)50 percent

Question 15

What cable service provides more than 500 hours of commercial-free programming per month to junior and senior high schools?

A)CTW
B)Nickelodeon
C)Cable in the Classroom
D)Discovery Channel
E)Annenberg/CPB Project

Question 16

Public television's presentation of documentaries associated with "companion books" began with its carriage of

A)The Civil War.
B)Vietnam: A Television History.
C)The American Experience.
D)Civilization.
E)The Kennedys.

Question 17

Beginning in 1981, PBS offered this cooperative effort with local stations to provide college-credit courses for viewers at home.

A)AIT
B)GPN
C)ITV
D)ALS
E)NOVA

Question 18

In addition to NPR, a second public radio network was formed by Minnesota Public Radio as a distribution channel for A Prairie Home Companion and is today known as

A)Public Radio International.
B)Corporation for Public Radio.
C)Midwest Radio Alliance.
D)United Radio Network.
E)American Public Radio.

Question 19

What statement characterizes audiences for public television?

A)Audiences are generally lower in economic and educational status than the audiences for commercial television.
B)Audiences are generally smaller, but better educated and more upscale, than audiences for commercial television.
C)Audiences for both public television and commercial television are the same in economic status.
D)Audiences tuning into public television programs are usually large.
E)Audiences for public television are usually the same in educational levels as those for commercial TV.

Question 20

Those who defend the need for noncommercial broadcasting stress all of the following EXCEPT

A)programs not found elsewhere on commercial television are found on PBS.
B)public television is a local community institution.
C)PBS reaches 98 percent of American homes while cable reaches only about two-thirds.
D)quality of funding sources for PBS programs.
E)programs aimed at instruction and informal education.

Question 21

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 created National Educational Television.

Question 22

Currently, the most significant role of PBS is as program distributor.

Question 23

Public Broadcasting Service was designed to be a training and research branch of CPB.

Question 24

Public school systems operate the largest percentage of public television stations.

Question 25

In 1981 Congress established TCAF to supervise an experiment with advertising on public television.

Question 26

Most programs on public television stations come from production-oriented PBS stations.

Question 27

Until 1997, The West was the most watched PBS series in history.

Question 28

A majority of public radio stations take most of their programming from national program sources.

Question 29

In this new century, noncommercial stations are concerned with survival in at least two areas: financial support and competition from other services.

Question 30

Critics of noncommercial broadcasting state that lack of sufficient audience appeal lies at the root of public broadcasting's problem.

Question 31

What roles do CPB, PBS, NPR, and PRI play in delivering network programs?

Question 32

Describe the diverse ways public broadcasting receives funding.

Question 33

What program sources are available to noncommercial television stations?

Question 34

Describe audience characteristics for noncommercial television stations.

Question 35

What traditional defenses are marshaled in noncommercial television's favor? How do critics of noncommercial television counter these claims?