High Q
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- For the scientific usage, see Q factor
High Q is the name of various local television quiz shows broadcast throughout the United States. While the formats vary, all featured two or three teams representing high schools from the station's coverage area, which would compete against each other by answering questions over subjects taught in school. Similar shows have been produced by many local stations under other names, most notably the long-running It's Academic in Washington, DC.
Among the known versions:
- Hometown High-Q, broadcast by KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- A long-running version by WAVE in Louisville, Kentucky. Its format was nearly identical to the NBC show GE College Bowl. (Sponsored by Ashland Oil, this show is no longer produced. Ashland Oil now sponsors Kentucky's Governors Cup academic competition.)
- A long-running version by WOWK in Huntington, West Virginia. This show is no longer produced or aired on WOWK, however, the show, with a slightly varied format and same host is now being produced on the campus of Marshall University and aired on its public access channel.
- High-Q was Produced for a number of years by WCVB-TV 5 in Boston Massachusetts. Sports Anchor Mike Lynch was the host of this version.
- A version produced by WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio. This version features a unique format, not drawn from any other show. [1]
- A version from WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. Its format appears to be similar, though not identical, to the WHIO version. [2]
- A version from KCOS in El Paso, Texas. [3]
- A version from WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas, cosponsored with Washburn University, broadcast from 1985-2005. Along with a format change, this version was renamed Quest and is now broadcast on KTWU-TV. [4]
Similar shows under different names:
- Matchwits, from KTSC, a public station in Pueblo, Colorado. [5] The show originally ran from 1977 through 1979, then returned in 1987 and has been broadcast ever since. The show pits teams of three from high schools around Colorado against each other in a single elimination tournament. Due to budget issues, the show was cancelled after the 2005-2006 season, but public support has led to the possibility of its revival for the 2007-2008 season at the earliest. [6]
- High-Five Challenge is produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting. It differs from other such shows in that the teams feature four players plus a "wild card" single player that can "steal" questions from the opposing team. [7]
- As Schools Match Wits is produced by WWLP-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts. The stations advertises the show as the nation's longest-running high school quiz show, dating back to 1962. (This claim cannot be verified.) [8]
- Granite State Challenge, produced by New Hampshire Public Television. The season staring in 2005 is the show's 23rd. (Tom Bergeron of Dancing with the Stars and Hollywood Squares fame is a former host of the show.) [9]
- In The Know produced by WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. This show used questions written by the company Quiz Questions, owned by John Duvall. This show was sponsored by Ashland Oil.
In the early days of television, nearly every major market had at least one quiz show of this type, particularly with the success of GE College Bowl. Such shows also had an extra benefit to stations: they were often used to help meet public-service programming requirements mandated by the Federal Communications Commission. As these controls were relaxed, most of these local shows met their demise, though public stations and statewide networks either maintained their existing shows or provided replacements for commercially-produced ones.
High Q was spoofed in an episode of the television show SCTV as "Night School High Q," where Alex Trebek (played by Eugene Levy) was the moderator.
