Question 1

What specific constitutional phrase justifies broadcasting coming under congressional jurisdiction?
A)Economic necessity
B)Fair use
C)Interstate commerce clause
D)The First Amendment
E)Equal protection under the law

Accepted Answer

The Interstate Commerce Clause grants Congress the power to regulate commerce between states, and broadcasting can be considered a form of interstate commerce. Therefore, Congress has the authority to regulate the broadcasting industry.

Question 2

This standard, created by Congress, limits FCC discretion.
A)PICON
B)PUCs
C)Title VI
D)NOI
E)NPRM

Accepted Answer

PICON (Public Interest, Convenience, or Necessity) is the standard created by Congress that limits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) discretion. It is a guiding principle for the FCC in making decisions regarding broadcasting licenses and ensuring that broadcasters serve the public interest.

Question 3

The FCC functions in
A)primarily a judicial role, by deciding disputes between broadcasters.
B)primarily a legislative role, since it was created by Congress.
C)primarily an executive role because it puts the will of Congress into effect.
D)a combination of legislative, executive, and judicial roles.
E)accord with specific desires of broadcasters and cablecasters to give them what they want.

Accepted Answer

The FCC functions in a combination of legislative, executive, and judicial roles. It makes rules and regulations (legislative), enforces those rules (executive), and also adjudicates disputes between parties (judicial).

Question 4

The president nominates __________ FCC commissioners, who serve for __________ years and may be reappointed.
A)five, three
B)five, five
C)seven, three
D)seven, five
E)seven, seven

Accepted Answer

The president nominates five FCC commissioners, who serve for five years and may be reappointed.

Question 5

In terms of originating policy and handling applications and letters of complaint and comment from the public, most of the work at the FCC is
A)carried out by staff members.
B)carried out by staff members, but everything must have approval by commissioners.
C)shared equally between the staff members and the commissioners.
D)completed by the commissioners.
E)completed by the commissioners with congressional approval.

Accepted Answer

The majority of the work related to policy origination, handling applications, and managing letters of complaint and comment from the public at the FCC is carried out by staff members. Commissioners play a role in oversight and decision-making at a higher level, but the day-to-day operations and initial handling of these tasks are managed by the staff.

Question 6

How does a rule differ from a regulation?
A)A rule becomes effective in 90 days, but a regulation becomes effective immediately.
B)A rule originates with the FCC staff, while a regulation comes from the commissioners themselves.
C)Rule violations are punishable by fines, but regulation violations are punishable by loss of license.
D)Regulatory violations are punishable by fines, while rule violations result in loss of license.
E)No difference exists.The phrase is traditional.

Accepted Answer

Rules and regulations are often used interchangeably in legal and administrative contexts, and the distinction is more traditional than substantive.

Question 7

Which statement best describes critics' attitudes toward FCC commissioners?
A)They are highly qualified people who take their job very seriously.
B)Commissioners join the FCC with considerable telecommunications experience and are dedicated to serving the public interest.
C)Some are inexperienced individuals and may use their FCC position later to attain higher-paying positions in private law practice and media industries.
D)They are usually academics and communications scholars.
E)They always have business and industry experience in fields other than telecommunications.

Accepted Answer

Critics have raised concerns about some FCC commissioners lacking experience and potentially using their position for personal gain in the future. This suggests that not all commissioners are qualified or dedicated to serving the public interest, as option A and B suggest. Option D and E are both incorrect as they make blanket statements that do not accurately reflect the backgrounds of FCC commissioners.

Question 8

FCC decisions involving station licenses
A)are not subject to appeal.
B)can be overturned by congressional action.
C)can be appealed to the Federal Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit.
D)can be appealed to the federal district court where the station is located.
E)can be appealed only to the Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

FCC decisions involving station licenses can be appealed to the Federal Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit. This court has jurisdiction over appeals from FCC decisions and is often the first stop for parties seeking to challenge FCC rulings. Appeals to this court must be filed within 60 days of the FCC's decision.

Question 9

Before a would-be licensee can build a new broadcast facility he or she must first obtain a(n)
A)allotment license.
B)consent decree.
C)construction permit.
D)ownership permit.
E)EEO provision.

Accepted Answer

A construction permit is required before a new broadcast facility can be built. This permit grants the licensee permission to construct the facility to a specified technical specification and within a certain time frame. Without this permit, construction cannot begin.

Question 10

Which of the following qualifications is not required of someone applying for a broadcasting license?
A)Previous broadcasting experience
B)Sufficient financial resources
C)Technical ability
D)U.S.citizenship
E)Good character

Accepted Answer

Previous broadcasting experience is not a requirement for applying for a broadcasting license. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees broadcasting licenses in the United States, does not list previous broadcasting experience as a prerequisite. Instead, factors such as financial resources, technical ability, U.S. citizenship, and good character are considered.

Question 11

Which of the following methods does the FCC rely on to ensure that stations are operating in the public interest?
A)Constant monitoring of station operations.
B)Monthly monitoring checks of station operations.
C)Licensee self-reports during time of license renewal.
D)Program logs maintained by both stations and FCC bureaus.
E)Complaints from the general public.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following methods does the...

Question 12

Currently, broadcast licenses are awarded for __________ years for television and __________ years for radio.
A)three, three
B)three, five
C)five, five
D)five, eight
E)eight, eight

Accepted Answer

Broadcast licenses are typically awarded for eight years for both television and radio.

Question 13

About 98 percent of all license-renewal applications are
A)approved after completing a short renewal form.
B)approved after completing a multipage audit form that deals with past programming as well as future goals.
C)automatically approved on the basis of past performance.
D)mutually exclusive.
E)challenged by other broadcasters or public service groups.

Accepted Answer

The passage states that "98 percent of all license-renewal applications are approved after completing a short renewal form." Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 14

Which of the following penalties is least used by the FCC?
A)Conditional renewal
B)Short-term renewal
C)Nonrenewal of license
D)Fines
E)Revocation of license

Accepted Answer

Revocation of license is the least used penalty by the FCC as it is considered a severe action and is typically reserved for the most serious violations.

Question 15

Franchises for cable systems are issued by __________ authority.
A)local
B)state
C)congressional
D)FCC
E)federal

Accepted Answer

Franchises for cable systems are typically issued by local authorities, such as city or county governments, to ensure that the cable service meets the specific needs and regulations of the local community.

Question 16

Provisions of the 1992 cable act amendments included
A)retransmission consent and must-carry rules.
B)SMATV regulations.
C)a deregulatory timetable for cable television.
D)rules for FCC franchising of cable systems.
E)LPTV and TVRO provisions.

Accepted Answer

The 1992 cable act amendments included provisions for retransmission consent and must-carry rules. Retransmission consent requires cable operators to obtain permission from broadcasters before retransmitting their signals, and must-carry rules require cable operators to carry the signals of local broadcast stations on their systems. These provisions were designed to protect the interests of broadcasters and ensure that local programming was available to viewers.

Question 17

In 1997, the Supreme Court upheld the __________ provisions, finding that the protection of over- the-air broadcasting was an important government interest.
A)retransmission consent
B)PEG channel capacity
C)must-carry
D)FCC cable franchise fee
E)SMATV regulatory

Accepted Answer

The must-carry provisions refer to the requirement that cable operators carry certain local broadcast stations on their systems. In 1997, the Supreme Court upheld these provisions, finding that the protection of over-the-air broadcasting was an important government interest.

Question 18

EEO regulations and broadcast signal carriage rules apply to
A)DBS.
B)SMATV.
C)DARS.
D)MMDS, or wireless cable.
E)OVS.

Accepted Answer

The answer of EEO regulations and broadcast signal carriage rules...

Question 19

Why did Congress remove the ban on cable/telco cross-ownership in Telecommunications Act of 1996?
A)To allow cable to compete with telephone companies in spectrum auctions.
B)To allow the FCC to regulate OVSs as broadcast carriers.
C)To halt local franchise fee levies against cable operators.
D)To allow local municipalities to regulate OVS operations.
E)To stimulate local competition in the multi-channel video market.

Accepted Answer

The removal of the ban on cable/telco cross-ownership in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was intended to stimulate local competition in the multi-channel video market. This allowed cable companies and telephone companies to compete in offering video services to consumers, leading to greater choice and potentially lower prices.

Question 20

Since 1980, many regulations have been abandoned in deregulatory moves, and those regulations remaining are usually __________ regulations.
A)behavioral
B)business
C)economic
D)structural
E)fiscal

Accepted Answer

Structural regulations are regulations that specify the structure of an industry, such as the number of firms in an industry or the market share of each firm.

Quiz 11: The Communications Act, Licensing, and Structural Regulation

What specific constitutional phrase justifies broadcasting coming under congressional jurisdiction?

This standard, created by Congress, limits FCC discretion.

The FCC functions in

The president nominates FCC commissioners, who serve for years and may be reappointed.

In terms of originating policy and handling applications and letters of complaint and comment from the public, most of the work at the FCC is

How does a rule differ from a regulation?

Which statement best describes critics' attitudes toward FCC commissioners?

FCC decisions involving station licenses

Before a would-be licensee can build a new broadcast facility he or she must first obtain a(n)

Which of the following qualifications is not required of someone applying for a broadcasting license?

Which of the following methods does the FCC rely on to ensure that stations are operating in the public interest?

Currently, broadcast licenses are awarded for years for television and years for radio.

About 98 percent of all license-renewal applications are

Which of the following penalties is least used by the FCC?

Franchises for cable systems are issued by __________ authority.

Provisions of the 1992 cable act amendments included

In 1997, the Supreme Court upheld the __________ provisions, finding that the protection of over- the-air broadcasting was an important government interest.

EEO regulations and broadcast signal carriage rules apply to

Why did Congress remove the ban on cable/telco cross-ownership in Telecommunications Act of 1996?

Since 1980, many regulations have been abandoned in deregulatory moves, and those regulations remaining are usually __________ regulations.