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Quiz about The History Of Radio
Quiz about The History Of Radio

The History Of Radio Trivia Quiz


Until the advent of television, the radio was the center of information and entertainment in the American home. Here is a quiz about radio's birth and 'Golden Age'.

A multiple-choice quiz by Oddball. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Oddball
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
31,508
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
10 / 20
Plays
2049
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 71 (6/20), Guest 69 (14/20), Guest 209 (1/20).
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Question 1 of 20
1. The first licenced commercial radio station debuted in 1920 in this city: Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. This was the first regular network service, formed on Jan. 4, 1923: Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. Which of the following was NOT one of the NBC network 'colors'? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. Which network was known as the 'Purple Network'? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. This radio pioneer is acknowledged as the inventor of frequency modulation (FM): Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. Where in the US can you find most radio stations with the call letters starting with 'W'? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. In the first US presidential election broadcast on commercial radio, who was declared the winner? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. William Gillette was the first actor to portray this classic character on radio: Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. Who began his newscasts with the famous, 'Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all ships at sea, let's go to press...'? Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. The first commercial aired on radio was for this product: Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. Billy Jones and Ernie Hare were otherwise known as: Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. 'Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men'? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. What often-horror-themed program was hosted by Arch Obler? Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. In January, 1933, Detroit radio station WXYZ debuted this long running radio (and later TV and movie) series: Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. What was first used by NBC on November 29, 1929? Hint


Question 16 of 20
16. Who was NOT a resident of Fred Allen's 'Alley'? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. Which of the following did NOT debut as a radio show before moving to television? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. Can't go on without one kudo to a classic broadcast and a demonstration of the true power of radio...the CBS dramatization of what story panicked many listeners on Oct. 30, 1938?

Answer: (4 or 5 Words)
Question 19 of 20
19. What long-running program took place at the Jot 'Em Down Store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. Which of the following was the radio voice of Marshall Matt Dillon? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 71: 6/20
Nov 20 2024 : Guest 69: 14/20
Oct 10 2024 : Guest 209: 1/20
Oct 07 2024 : Guest 72: 10/20

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The first licenced commercial radio station debuted in 1920 in this city:

Answer: Pittsburgh

Still operating in the new millenium, KDKA in Pittsburgh is the acknowledged grandfather of commercial radio, although earlier broadcasts have been documented in San Diego, CA and Madison, WI as far back as 1909. By 1932, there was at least one radio station in every state.
2. This was the first regular network service, formed on Jan. 4, 1923:

Answer: AT and T

AT and T began broadcasting July 1, 1923. It was here that the first commercial network program, 'The Eveready Hour', was broadcast. When AT and T decided not to remain in the broadcasting business, the network was sold to NBC in 1926. RCA formed in December, 1923, CBS in 1927 and NBC in 1929.
3. Which of the following was NOT one of the NBC network 'colors'?

Answer: Green

NBC-Orange was a west coast leg of NBC's national service, beginning in 1931. The main colors were NBC-Red and NBC-Blue. The FCC forced NBC to sell 'Blue' in 1943, which became ABC. Other NBC colors were 'Gold' which merged with Orange after two years, and 'White', a religious branch which operated in the late '20s and '30s.
4. Which network was known as the 'Purple Network'?

Answer: CBS

CBS earned the nickname from the color coding on the AT and T telephone diagrams. Originally called United Independent Broadcasters, the company was bought out by the Columbia Phonogragh Co. in 1927.
5. This radio pioneer is acknowledged as the inventor of frequency modulation (FM):

Answer: Maj. Edwin Howard Armstrong

Armstrong, a holder of 42 patents and a professorship at Columbia University, also invented the superheterodyne circuit, allowing for automatic tuning of a radio signal, while a Captain in the US Signal Corps in World War I. This invention helped get him promoted to Major in 1919.

The technology for FM (static free) broadcasting was a success in 1933, but would be years before its feasibility was recognized (it wan't till 1978 that FM stations outnumbered AM). By that time, Armstrong was divorced and broke from losing a long-running patent feud with DeForest.

He committed suicide in 1954.
6. Where in the US can you find most radio stations with the call letters starting with 'W'?

Answer: East of the Mississippi River

Beginning in 1913, the original policy was that radio stations in the west normally got K-- call letters, while W-- calls were issued to stations along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic seaboard. The original K-W boundary ran north from the Texas-New Mexico border.

However, in late January, 1923, the K-W boundary was shifted east to the Mississippi River, with 'W' on the east side and 'K' on the west.
7. In the first US presidential election broadcast on commercial radio, who was declared the winner?

Answer: Warren G. Harding

Republican candidate Harding defeated Democrat James M. Cox. The results were broadcast on KDKA on Nov. 2, 1920.
8. William Gillette was the first actor to portray this classic character on radio:

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

Oct. 20, 1930. The detective story format is ideally-suited for radio, and the program proves to be one of the most successful dramas of the Depression era. Gillette's Holmes will eventually be overshadowed by the better known Basil Rathbone.
9. Who began his newscasts with the famous, 'Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all ships at sea, let's go to press...'?

Answer: Walter Winchell

Winchell was the most influential newspaperman in the country at the dawn of the forties, plus his Sunday night news-and-comment program was by far the most popular news program on the air in the last months before US involvement in World War 2. Early TV viewers will recognize his voice as the narrator of 'The Untouchables'.
10. The first commercial aired on radio was for this product:

Answer: Real Estate

The ad was for Hawthorne Court in Jackson Heights, NY in 1921.
11. Billy Jones and Ernie Hare were otherwise known as:

Answer: The Happiness Boys

The Happiness Boys sang the praises of Interwoven Socks in the first commercial jingle.
12. 'Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men'?

Answer: The Shadow

First portrayed on radio by 22-year-old Orson Welles in September, 1937.
13. What often-horror-themed program was hosted by Arch Obler?

Answer: Lights Out

Truly one of the more creepy programs to reach the airwaves. Bill Cosby tells a great childhood story in his famous 'Chicken Heart' from an episode of 'Lights Out' that results in his spreading Jell-O on the floor to stop the monster and winds up breaking his father's arm.
14. In January, 1933, Detroit radio station WXYZ debuted this long running radio (and later TV and movie) series:

Answer: The Lone Ranger

Moving after a year to the Don Lee Network (later called Mutual), the Masked Rider of the Plains, his faithful Indian companian Tonto and the fiery steed Silver go on to become one of radio's most enduring contributions to American popular culture, and one of the best-known fictional characters of all time.
15. What was first used by NBC on November 29, 1929?

Answer: The 'Three Chimes' ID

The 'Chimes' (G-E-C) were the first audible sound combination to be registered with a patent. During World War II, war bulletins on NBC were preceded and followed by four tones (G-E-C-C).
16. Who was NOT a resident of Fred Allen's 'Alley'?

Answer: Kingfish

Sen. Claghorn was the inspiration for creation of the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn. Kingfish was a member of the 'Amos and Andy' cast.
17. Which of the following did NOT debut as a radio show before moving to television?

Answer: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

'Gillis' with Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver, Tuesday Weld and Warren Beatty debuted on TV in 1959.
18. Can't go on without one kudo to a classic broadcast and a demonstration of the true power of radio...the CBS dramatization of what story panicked many listeners on Oct. 30, 1938?

Answer: The War Of The Worlds

Written by H.G. Wells, adapted for radio by Howard Koch and presented by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air. The story was altered to be presented as a regular broadcast of dance music, which was interrupted by fake news bulletins to follow the storyline of a Martian invasion.
19. What long-running program took place at the Jot 'Em Down Store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas?

Answer: Lum N' Abner

Lum Eddards (Chet Lauck) and Abner Peabody (Norris Goff) began as local 'Amos and Andy' imitators who changed their characters to old-time philosophers at the last minute. The show lasted from 1931 to 1953, including seven motion pictures.
20. Which of the following was the radio voice of Marshall Matt Dillon?

Answer: William Conrad

Debuting on CBS on April 26, 1952, the 'adult western' is introduced with, 'Around Dodge City and territories on west, there was just one way to handle the killers and spoilers - that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of gunsmoke'. The radio series ended in June, 1961, six years after the TV series began with James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Source: Author Oddball

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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