Quiz Show Scandal

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The author Richard S. Tedlow in his article, “Intellect on Television: The Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s”, sheds light on his examination of the problems inherent in commercial broadcasting, especially as they relate to the television quiz scandals of the late 1950s. The author begins his article with the events of June 1955 when $64,000 Question made its debut on the CBS television network. According to the author, the radio had been exploiting the American’s interest for facts with contests and games since the mid-1930s. Moreover, small amounts of cash or donation were given away in different formats. The specialty about Question was that even the loser got a Cadillac as a consolation prize. The format of the show was very simple, contestant …show more content…

The basic idea was similar with some difference, like the presence of two contestants for competing for each other and the no limit on their winnings. Barry and Enright leased the show to Pharmacueticals, Inc. and they used it as a platform for advertising their products, the first show aired on October 12, 1956. The quiz show 21 did not match the ratings of Questions, however, it competed for another successful and popular show. The author highlights one of the 21 contestants who became a symbol of the nation of the profitability, Charles Van Doren. Moreover, the author briefs about his intellectual family chain. Van Doren defeated the impoverished champion, Herbert Stempel, after three times of tough tie match on December 5, 1956. Van Doren’s victory in the quiz show brought him greater rewards than his ancestors. The author then provides detail about the fame and popularity Van Doren received, thousands of people from around the world thanked him through the letters he received. Little services which he had to pay, from his $4,400 salary annually as an English instructor in Columbia, were donated complimentary by the shop keepers. He received numerous job offers from several different colleges, he was given the title of Doctor without his Ph.D. On the other hand, rumors arose about the fixing of the quiz show. By the end of 1956, many articles published mentioning about the control exercise performed by the sponsors, eliminating the unpopular one and saving the popular

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