CBT Professional Ethics & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A broadcast technician discovers that a co-worker is falsifying equipment maintenance logs. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the falsification to a supervisor or through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Alter the logs yourself to correct the discrepancy
- Ask the co-worker to stop but take no further action
Correct answer: Report the falsification to a supervisor or through proper channels
Falsifying maintenance logs is a safety and regulatory violation that must be reported through proper channels to protect the station and public.
Question 2: Under SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers) ethics guidelines, a certified engineer should treat proprietary technical information obtained from a client with:
- Full transparency by sharing it with industry peers
- Strict confidentiality unless legally compelled to disclose (Correct answer)
- Moderate discretion at personal judgment
- No special consideration after the project ends
Correct answer: Strict confidentiality unless legally compelled to disclose
SBE ethics require certified engineers to maintain strict confidentiality regarding proprietary client information.
Question 3: Which FCC rule most directly governs a broadcast technician's responsibility to operate transmitters only within authorized parameters?
- Part 15 — Unlicensed Operations
- Part 73 — Commercial Broadcast Stations (Correct answer)
- Part 97 — Amateur Radio
- Part 80 — Maritime Communications
Correct answer: Part 73 — Commercial Broadcast Stations
FCC Part 73 establishes the technical standards and operational requirements for commercial broadcast stations, including transmitter operation limits.
Question 4: A technician is offered a gift by a vendor in exchange for recommending their equipment to the station. The ethical response is to:
- Accept the gift and make the recommendation based on merit
- Decline the gift to avoid any conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- Accept the gift but disclose it to management
- Accept only if the gift's value is under $50
Correct answer: Decline the gift to avoid any conflict of interest
Accepting gifts from vendors creates a conflict of interest and compromises the integrity of equipment recommendations.
Question 5: What does the concept of 'due diligence' require of a broadcast engineer when implementing a new technical system?
- Implementing the system as quickly as possible to reduce downtime
- Thoroughly researching, testing, and documenting the system before deployment (Correct answer)
- Delegating all responsibility to the equipment manufacturer
- Following only the minimum FCC requirements
Correct answer: Thoroughly researching, testing, and documenting the system before deployment
Due diligence requires thorough research, testing, and documentation to ensure systems perform safely and reliably before going live.
Question 6: When a broadcast engineer's professional opinion conflicts with management's decision on a safety matter, the engineer should:
- Implement management's decision without comment
- Document their professional objection and communicate it through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Immediately contact the FCC to report the station
- Resign from the position in protest
Correct answer: Document their professional objection and communicate it through proper channels
Engineers should document and formally communicate professional objections to protect both themselves and the public, even while following lawful directives.
Question 7: SBE certification is best described as a demonstration of:
- A legally required government license to operate broadcast equipment
- Voluntary professional competency recognized by the broadcast engineering community (Correct answer)
- Membership in a trade union for broadcast workers
- An FCC-mandated credential for chief engineers only
Correct answer: Voluntary professional competency recognized by the broadcast engineering community
SBE certification is a voluntary credentialing program that recognizes demonstrated competency in broadcast engineering, not a legal requirement.
CBT Professional Ethics & Standards 2
A broadcast technician discovers that a co-worker is falsifying equipment maintenance logs.
What is the most ethical course of action?