22. How the Quiz Show Scandals of the 1950s Transformed American Television

Abstract

As the popular radio quiz shows seamlessly transitioned to television in the mid-20^th century, they experienced growth in popularity, ratings, and cheating, driven by the lack of federal regulation prohibiting gambling on television. The famous quiz show scandals of the 1950s led to numerous cancellations, damaged reputations, plummeting ratings, and eventually an amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 by the United States Congress banning the rigging of game shows. The scandals displayed the necessity for stronger network control over programming and production and also justified and accelerated the growth of the networks’ powers. The quiz show scandals of the 1950s marked an important turning point in American television history, as the networks gained a new role in their television programming, a role that would come to define a new era of centralized network control.