CBT Professional Ethics & Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A chief engineer at a radio station knowingly allows the station to broadcast at power levels exceeding its FCC license. Which regulation is primarily violated?
- FCC Part 15 power limits
- FCC Part 73 authorized power requirements (Correct answer)
- OSHA workplace safety regulations
- EAS compliance rules
Correct answer: FCC Part 73 authorized power requirements
FCC Part 73 strictly defines authorized transmitter power, and exceeding it is a serious violation that can result in fines and license revocation.
Question 2: Which of the following best represents a broadcast technician's ethical obligation regarding continuing education?
- Continuing education is optional and only benefits career advancement
- Professionals have an ethical duty to stay current with evolving technology and standards (Correct answer)
- Continuing education is only necessary after a major regulatory change
- Staying current is the responsibility of the station's management, not the technician
Correct answer: Professionals have an ethical duty to stay current with evolving technology and standards
Professional ethics require broadcast engineers to maintain and update their technical knowledge as technology and regulations evolve.
Question 3: When a broadcast engineer is asked to sign off on work they did not personally perform or verify, the ethical response is:
- Sign if a trusted colleague performed the work
- Refuse to sign and insist on personal verification before signing (Correct answer)
- Sign with a disclaimer noting someone else did the work
- Sign only if management provides written authorization
Correct answer: Refuse to sign and insist on personal verification before signing
Signing off on unverified work creates personal and professional liability and violates the integrity standards expected of certified engineers.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the FCC's EAS (Emergency Alert System) requirements for broadcast stations?
- To generate revenue through mandatory equipment purchases
- To ensure stations can distribute life-safety emergency information to the public (Correct answer)
- To allow stations to interrupt competitor programming during emergencies
- To synchronize broadcast schedules across the country
Correct answer: To ensure stations can distribute life-safety emergency information to the public
The EAS exists to ensure broadcast stations can rapidly disseminate emergency warnings to protect public safety during disasters.
Question 5: A broadcast technician discovers a safety hazard in the transmitter building that poses immediate risk to personnel. The correct first action is:
- Log it in the maintenance record for the next scheduled repair
- Immediately notify personnel and management and take corrective action (Correct answer)
- Wait for the chief engineer to return and report it then
- Report it to the FCC before addressing it internally
Correct answer: Immediately notify personnel and management and take corrective action
Immediate notification and corrective action is required when a hazard poses risk to human safety — delayed reporting is unacceptable.
Question 6: Which statement best defines 'professional integrity' in the context of broadcast engineering?
- Maximizing personal profit in every business transaction
- Consistently acting in accordance with ethical principles even when no one is watching (Correct answer)
- Following only rules that are actively enforced by regulators
- Prioritizing the station's ratings above all technical standards
Correct answer: Consistently acting in accordance with ethical principles even when no one is watching
Professional integrity means adhering to ethical standards consistently, not only when under observation or enforcement pressure.
Question 7: Under FCC rules, a broadcast station's public inspection file must be:
- Kept confidential and available only to FCC inspectors upon request
- Made available to any member of the public upon request (Correct answer)
- Shared only with advertisers and investors
- Maintained only in physical paper form at the station
Correct answer: Made available to any member of the public upon request
FCC regulations require that broadcast stations make their public inspection file available to any member of the public who requests it.
CBT Professional Ethics & Standards 3
A chief engineer at a radio station knowingly allows the station to broadcast at power levels exceeding its FCC license.
Which regulation is primarily violated?