It was a year of living dangerously for the TV business. Traditional networks such as HBO and CBS went over-the-top with stand-alone apps, bundles got skinnier and the government scotched the long-gestating Comcast-Time Warner Cable combination—only to see major players such as Charter and Cablevision engineer yet more multibillion-dollar deals. As the furniture was rearranged among the owners of content, the reality was dawning on the industry that the frenzy to create engaging content has resulted in what John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks, memorably glossed as “peak TV.”
As we play out the string for 2015, we ask you: How well do you remember the year gone by? Take stock with the answer key to Part 1 below.
1. Which Murdoch received the highest total compensation from 21st Century Fox--$27.9 million—in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, according to the company’s proxy statement?
A. Rupert Murdoch
B. James Murdoch
C. Lachlan Murdoch
D. Elisabeth Murdoch
2. Which station group did not announce plans for a major broadcast acquisition this year?
A. Raycom Media
B. Hearst Television
C. Media General
D. Gray Television
3. How much did the stock of companies that own cable networks drop in the third quarter after Disney CEO Bob Iger announced during the company’s earnings call that cable revenue growth would be slower than forecast because of falling subscriber numbers?
A. 13%
B. 23%
C. 33%
D. 43%
4. After HBO, which network won the second-most awards at the 2015 Primetime Emmys?
A. Comedy Central
B. Netflix
C. NBC
D. FX
5. Which was the first new show on broadcast networks’ fall lineup to be canceled?
A. NBC’s The Player
B. Fox’s Minority Report
C. ABC’s Blood & Oil
D. ABC’s Wicked City
6. Which company is not part of the consortium of station groups behind the NewsON OTT service?
A. Tegna
B. Cox Media Group
C. Hearst Television
D. Raycom Media
7. How many scripted series are on TV, according to a study from FX?
A. 409
B. 487
C. 502
D. 365
8. Which is not the name of a diginet that debuted in 2015?
A. Laff
B. Justice Network
C. Slooth
D. Buzzr
9. Name the first hour-long scripted drama to appear on Crackle, Sony’s ad-supported streaming service.
A. Mozart in the Jungle
B. The Art of More
C. Sense8
D. Flesh and Bone
10. In a taped sketch that kicked off the Primetime Emmy Awards, host Andy Samberg locked himself in a bunker to watch every show on TV. Which one did he (for the sake of comedy) forget?
A. CBS’ NCIS
B. History’s Cajun Pawn Stars
C. Comedy’s The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore
D. ABC’s Castle
