Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What did CBS originally stand for?
Answer: Columbia Broadcasting SystemThe "Columbia" part of CBS's name comes from Columbia Records, which in 1927 began a joint venture in radio broadcasting, with 47 stations in a network called the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System. After losing money on the deal, Columbia sold its interest to a group of private investors, led by cigar manufacturer William S. Paley.
The network dropped "Phonograph" from its title shortly thereafter. In 1974, the legal name of the company was shortened to CBS Inc. (Thanks to wikipedia.com and the Museum of Broadcast Communications for additional information.)
2. The CBS Eye, the well-known service mark that identifies the network, made its debut in what year?
Answer: 1951Designer William Golden, inspired by Shaker hex symbols designed to ward off evil spirits, collaborated with graphic artist Kurt Weiss to come up with the Eye. Though the original intention was to use it as a brandmark for broadcast purposes, network president Frank Stanton made sure to keep the Eye in public view, printing it on virtually everything associated with the network.
The Eye celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 17, 2001. (Thanks to cbs.com for additional information.)
3. Which venerable newsman was the first to anchor a nightly newscast for CBS?
Answer: Douglas EdwardsThough Walter Cronkite is synonymous with CBS's evening news, it was actually Douglas Edwards who created the position of anchorman. In 1948, CBS began a nightly 15-minute news program with Edwards at the helm. He stepped aside in 1962, and the program expanded to 30 minutes the next year. Edwards died in 1990. (Thanks to the St. Bonaventure University website for additional information.)
4. One of television's longest-running programs was CBS's inspirational series "Lamp Unto My..."
Answer: Feet"Lamp Unto My Feet" debuted in 1948 and featured work by a number of Hollywood notables, including actor Wayne Rogers and director John Frankenheimer. In 1979, CBS combined it with another religious program "Look Up and Live". The new program, "For Our Times", ran until 1988, with Douglas Edwards as the host.
5. CBS was responsible for the first working color television system.
Answer: True Research engineer Peter Goldmark developed color television in 1940, and in 1949 the FCC approved the system for general use. Because the new system was not compatible with existing black-and-white sets, however, it was not adapted as the standard for color television. RCA developed such a system, under David Sarnoff's direction, which was adapted as the broadcast standard in 1953. (Thanks to the Consumer Electronics Association website for additional information.)
6. CBS was the first network to dedicate coverage to either the Summer or Winter Olympics. In what year did this historic feat take place?
Answer: 1960To broadcast both the Winter Olympics from Squaw Valley, California, and the Summer Olympics from Rome, CBS paid less than $500,000 in all. In contrast, NBC paid over $500,000,000 to broadcast the 2002 Winter Games at Salt Lake City. (Thanks to infoplease.com and skimag.com for additional information.)
7. Which of the following game shows was NOT broadcast on CBS during the 1970s?
Answer: "Hollywood Squares"A haven for game shows during the 1970s, CBS's stable included "Match Game", "Tattletales", and "The Price Is Right". The first incarnation of "Hollywood Squares", hosted by Peter Marshall, enjoyed a long run on NBC. A later version, hosted by Tom Bergeron and featuring Whoopi Goldberg, was taped at CBS Television City and distributed by King World.
8. Who was the president of CBS responsible for rural comedies like "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Petticoat Junction" during the 1960s?
Answer: James AubreyOriginally a salesman at CBS Radio affiliate KNX in Los Angeles, James Aubrey worked his way into CBS's West Coast operations, and helped develop the classic series "Have Gun, Will Travel". After a brief stint at ABC, where he scheduled series like "The Donna Reed Show" and "The Rifleman", Aubrey returned to CBS in 1958 and succeeded Lou Cowan, who had taken a beating during the quiz-show scandals, the following year.
Despite helping the network realize great success, Aubrey's brusque manner and constant clashes with star talent ultimately led to his firing in 1965. (Thanks to the Museum of Broadcast Communications for additional information.)
9. Which of the following promotional slogans was NOT used by CBS during the 1980s?
Answer: "Still the One"The "Still the One" campaign was used by ABC in the 1970s, and was based on the song of the same name by the group Orleans.
10. Which of the following memorable moments was broadcast by CBS Sports?
Answer: The first indoor Super Bowl (1978)Super Bowl XII pitted the Dallas Cowboys and their Doomsday Defense against the Denver Broncos and the Orange Crush. The Cowboys defeated the Broncos 27-10 in the cavernous Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
11. "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" host Meredith Vieira was a reporter on the CBS News magazine "West 57th".
Answer: True Before dishing with the crew on "The View" or handing out the dough on "Millionaire", Meredith Vieira won several Emmy Awards at both CBS News and ABC News for hard-hitting reports on topics like AIDS and racism. She was one of six reporters on "West 57th", which was positioned to reach the under-40 crowd that "60 Minutes" didn't. "West 57th" ran from 1985 to 1989. (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database and ABC.com for additonal information.)
12. In what year did the soap opera "The Bold and The Beautiful" debut on CBS?
Answer: 1987Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, "The Bold and The Beautiful" debuted on March 23, 1987. It is the oddball for the network, as it is the only soap CBS carries that runs for half an hour. "Bold's" West Coast stablemate, "The Young and The Restless", and CBS's East Coast-produced soaps, "As The World Turns" and "The Guiding Light", all run a full hour.
13. Which CBS sportscaster said "There it is, a win for the ages", after Tiger Woods's decisive win at the 1997 Masters golf tournament?
Answer: Jim NantzAt age 21, Tiger Woods dominated one of golf's most hallowed events, shooting a final-round 69 and finishing 18 under par, 12 strokes better than his nearest competition. Nantz's quote has been heard many times by CBS viewers since, as the shot is often used on the network's promos of its Masters coverage.
14. Which of the following broadcast properties is NOT owned by Viacom, CBS's parent company from 2000 to 2006?
Answer: FXFX is owned by News Corporation, the parent company of 20th Century-Fox and Fox Broadcasting Corporation. CBS and Viacom split up after six years of corporate marriage.
15. In 2004, CBS announced that it would do a third "CSI" series. In which major city was the series to be set?
Answer: New York CityWith the success of the original "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", set in Las Vegas, and "CSI: Miami", the network decided to launch a third series based on the same premise. New Orleans and San Francisco were among the other cities considered for this third member of the "CSI" franchise.
Source: Author cag1970
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
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