PrepTest 121, Section 1, Question 6
The public interest comprises many interests and the(37 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(5 more words not shown)
- Abroadcasters' obligations are(13 more words not shown)
- Btelevision networks should(10 more words not shown)
- Cthe public interest(10 more words not shown)
- Dthe popularity of(11 more words not shown)
- Ebroadcast media could(16 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Some people want football. Others want news, opera, or a children's show. Giving the largest group exactly what it wants could still leave everyone else with nothing to watch.
That's how I'm reading “public interest” here: it includes several interests, and the passage says broadcasters must serve all of them. We might question whether every private broadcaster really has that obligation, but it's a starting point of this argument. Accept it while deciding what follows.
What we’re looking for
The action-show example then shows why popularity alone isn't enough. Even if action wins the most votes, action on every channel all the time would fail to serve the public interest. My completion would be something like, “Broadcasters need variety, including programming that isn't the most popular choice.” Let's find an answer that carries that thought forward.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Looking only at popularity could lead broadcasters to choose action shows throughout their schedules. But the passage says that result would fail to serve the public interest, which broadcasters are obliged to serve. A expresses our variety prediction in terms of that obligation: choosing the most popular programming alone doesn't fulfill it.
- B
More than how much? We haven't been told what networks currently broadcast. They might already provide a good mix of artistic programs and action shows. The argument supports variety, but it doesn't establish that the existing schedule needs this particular change.
- C
Developing a new program is different from deciding which programs to broadcast. The passage concerns how broadcasters serve a range of interests through their schedules. It doesn't give this rule about every new program a producer develops.
- D
We aren't comparing popularity with artistic quality. A popular show could be excellent or terrible. The argument says that even a popular type of programming shouldn't crowd everything else out; its artistic merit isn't what decides that point.
- E
Why would action be the only possible problem? A schedule consisting entirely of opera or football could also neglect other interests. The passage gives constant action programming as an example of failing to serve the public. E turns that example into the only possible basis for the criticism, which the passage never supports.
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