Deck 12: Media Ownership Issues

Question 1

The Supreme Court overturned a Joint Operating Agreement in:

A)Associated Press v.U.S. .
B)U.S.v.Times-Picayune.
C)Lorain Journal v.U.S. .
D)U.S.v.Times-Mirror.
E)Citizen Publishing v.U.S.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The Supreme Court once said it was an antitrust violation for a newspaper to refuse to accept ads from anyone who advertised in a competing medium.The case:

A)Associated Press v.U.S. .
B)Lorain Journal v.U.S. .
C)U.S.v.Times-Picayune.
D)U.S.v.Kansas City Star.
E)U.S.v.Times-Mirror.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In its 2007 revision of the ownership rules,the FCC:

A)dropped all print-broadcast cross-ownership restrictions.
B)dropped the cross-ownership restrictions only in small markets.
C)dropped the cross-ownership restrictions in the 20 largest markets under some circumstances.
D)banned television duopolies.
E)authorized one company to own four television stations instead of two in the largest markets.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The Supreme Court once said it was not an antitrust violation for a newspaper company to bundle advertising in its morning and evening newspapers,requiring advertisers to buy an ad in both to get an ad in either one.The case:

A)Associated Press v.U.S. .
B)Lorain Journal v.U.S. .
C)U.S.v.Times-Picayune.
D)U.S.v.Kansas City Star.
E)U.S.v.Times-Mirror.

Question 5

Under the FCC's 2003 ownership rules,how many TV stations would one company have been allowed to own in the largest markets?

A)one.
B)two.
C)three.
D)eight.
E)there is no limit.

Question 6

The FCC's rule forbidding the creation of new print-broadcast cross-ownerships was affirmed during the 1970s by the Supreme Court in:

A)Times-Mirror v.FCC.
B)Warner Communications v.FCC.
C)National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting v.FCC.
D)Gannett v.FCC.
E)RKO General v.FCC.

Question 7

The Supreme Court in 2005 held that cable television systems may deny competing Internet service providers access to their high-speed lines.The case:

A)NCTA v.Brand X Internet Services.
B)Cox Broadcasting v.Cohn.
C)Prometheus Radio Project v.FCC.
D)MGM v.Grokster.
E)NBC v.FCC.

Question 8

The basic legal principle that the news media are subject to the same antitrust laws as other businesses was established by the Supreme Court in:

A)Sherman v.Clayton.
B)Times Mirror v.U.S. .
C)Times-Picayune v.U.S. .
D)New York Times v.U.S. .
E)Associated Press v.U.S.

Question 9

In Brantley v.NBC Universal,Inc. ,an appellate court said that a common cable company practice did not violate Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.What practice?

A)Bundling cable with Internet and phone services.
B)Tying desirable channels to less desirable ones in packages.
C)Billing for all services on one bill per month.
D)Charging more for premium channels.
E)All of these.

Question 10

As a result of lawsuits challenging the Kansas City Star's business practices,the Star Corporation and its officers faced which of the following legal actions?

A)criminal antitrust lawsuits by the U.S.government.
B)a civil antitrust lawsuits by the government.
C)treble-damage antitrust suits by private parties.
D)all of these (choices A,B and C).
E)none of these.

Question 11

How would the FCC's 2003 revision of its ownership rules have affected the print-broadcast cross-ownership rule?

A)the rule was abolished altogether,legalizing cross-ownership everywhere.
B)cross-ownership was legalized except in markets having fewer than four TV stations.
C)cross-ownership was legalized only in markets having 18 or more TV stations.
D)the rule was left unchanged.
E)the rule was made tougher,requiring existing owners of both a newspaper and a TV station in the same market to sell one or the other,even if they were previously "grandfathered."

Question 12

In 2002,the D.C.Circuit ordered the FCC to abolish or better justify some of its television duopoly restrictions in smaller markets.The case:

A)Sinclair Broadcast Group v.FCC.
B)Satellite Broadcasting v.FCC.
C)Time Warner Entertainment Co.v.FCC.
D)Universal Studios v.Corley.
E)National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting v.FCC.

Question 13

Under current FCC regulations how many radio stations (including both AM and FM stations)may one company own in a major market such as New York or Los Angeles?

A)there is no limit.
B)eight.
C)four.
D)two.
E)one.

Question 14

In what case did a consumers' group win the right to pursue antitrust claims against a major domain name registrar?

A)NCTA v.Brand X Internet Services.
B)Coalition for ICANN Transparency,Inc.v.VeriSign.
C)Prometheus Radio Project v.FCC.
D)MGM v.Grokster.
E)Universal Studios v.Corley.

Question 15

Under the law in effect today,how many AM radio stations in the entire U.S.may one company ordinarily own?

A)seven.
B)12.
C)20.
D)23.
E)there is no limit.

Question 16

In 2002,the Washington-based U.S.Court of Appeals also ordered the FCC to abolish or better justify its rule barring any company from owning stations that reach more than 35 percent of the nation's TV households.The case:

A)Fox Television Stations v.FCC.
B)Sinclair Broadcast Group v.FCC.
C)Satellite Broadcasting v.FCC.
D)Time Warner Entertainment Co.v.FCC.
E)Universal Studios v.Corley.

Question 17

In 2011,the DoJ and FTC approved the merger of NBC Universal and what company?

A)Disney.
B)Cox Broadcasting.
C)Fox Television.
D)Comcast.
E)Time Warner.

Question 18

In 2004,a federal appellate court decided the case of Commonwealth of Massachusetts v.Microsoft Corp. ,holding that:

A)Microsoft had to separate the Windows operating system into four different software packages.
B)Microsoft had to give $1 billion in software to Massachusetts schools.
C)Microsoft had to reveal most of the source code for Windows.
D)Microsoft had to pay Massachusetts' attorney fees.
E)Microsoft's earlier settlement with the U.S.Justice Department was valid and Massachusetts' appeal should be rejected.

Question 19

In 2004,a federal appellate court ordered the FCC to reconsider its 2003 deregulation of ownership restrictions.The 2004 decision:

A)Gannett v.FCC.
B)Tribune Corp.v.FCC.
C)Prometheus Radio Project v.FCC.
D)Sinclair Broadcast Group v.FCC.
E)Fox Television Stations v.FCC.

Question 20

The Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970 was designed to:

A)provide government grants for newspapers near bankruptcy.
B)provide tax relief for newspapers near bankruptcy.
C)allow newspapers to buy failing competitors despite antitrust and tax laws.
D)legalize joint operating agreements.
E)prevent large chains from increasing their size further at the expense of locally owned newspapers.

Question 21

In 2013,the Supreme Court handed down a decision reviewing the Third Circuit's ruling on whether cable customers could file suit as a class against alleged antitrust violations in Comcast's pricing schemes in Philadelphia (Comcast Corp.v.Behrend).What did the Court say?

A)Cable companies could be considered a class.
B)Cable customers had no standing to sue.
C)Cable customers had a choice to move to satellite.
D)Cable customers could not be considered a class.
E)None of these.