In the early days of television in the 1940s, many people thought that US television programs would rely on the financial support of ad agencies and commercial sponsors, much like radio did. But advertisers hesitated to jump into a new space, particularly at a time when the manufacturing of new television sets was stalled due to the US's involvement in World War II. Broadcasters, like the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), needed to persuade advertisers to support their programming despite not knowing whether there would be a robust television audience to begin with.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole?
Explanation
Context: The text says early television was expected to depend on advertisers much as radio did, but advertisers "hesitated to jump into a new space." The underlined phrase adds that this was especially so while the US's involvement in World War II had stalled the manufacturing of new television sets.
Answer: B) It identifies a specific reason behind some advertisers' hesitation to support television.
Why? The phrase attaches directly to the report of advertisers' hesitation, and "particularly" introduces the circumstance that made them wary: with set production stalled, few new televisions, and so few viewers, could be expected. It names a concrete reason for holding back.
Traps:
- A) Broadcasters' persuasion efforts appear in the next sentence about NBC, not in the underlined phrase.
- C) The phrase concerns set manufacturing and advertiser caution; no type of programming or its popularity is discussed.
- D) The comparison with radio occurs in the first sentence; the underlined phrase details a wartime manufacturing problem, not the two media's beginnings.