Whiz Quiz
Encyclopedia
Whiz Quiz is a local TV program produced by WPBS-TV
in Watertown, New York. It invites over 30 high-schools from across the North Country
to participate in a quizbowl
-style tournament. It debuted in 1980, and has been on the air since. The show airs on WPBS Mondays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m in the months of October and November. The American Championship Game starts at 8:00 p.m. The Championship Match is an hour-long show, with double the amount of questions.
Whiz Quiz is hosted by Glenn Gough, a former sports anchor for WWNY-TV
. In the fall of 1979, Glenn joined WPBS as a producer. In 1980, when Whiz Quiz premiered, he was co-host alongside Eddie Carvin. Glenn has been on the show since and the students and station appreciate his work.
tournament. A school progressively competes against other schools until that school loses. One loss means elimination from the competition. The team that competes on television consists of four players. However, a school's entire team may have many more alternates and also includes the advisor(s).
The team of four stands behind a booth with four buzzer
s. In 2007 the booths were painted orange, an endorsement of WPBS's support for Syracuse University
. The game lasts for 25 minutes and is divided into four rounds. Correct answers score ten points, Bonus questions score 15. The winner and runner-up of the entire competition receive trophies
as well as cash scholarships granted by the Rotary Club.
The Canadian and American Finals as well as the international finals are hour-long games.
area; the rules of the game are the same as the American competition. That series concludes with an hour-long competition between the Canadian
and American
champions, which airs late in December. Debuting in 2001, the Canadian version generally runs for one week (Monday to Friday), followed by a Canadian championship tournament the following week and the international tournament the night after.
WPBS-TV
WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT are a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station serving northern New York. Originating in the Watertown/Potsdam region, its primary audience includes Kingston, Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario....
in Watertown, New York. It invites over 30 high-schools from across the North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
to participate in a quizbowl
Quizbowl
Quiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
-style tournament. It debuted in 1980, and has been on the air since. The show airs on WPBS Mondays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m in the months of October and November. The American Championship Game starts at 8:00 p.m. The Championship Match is an hour-long show, with double the amount of questions.
Whiz Quiz is hosted by Glenn Gough, a former sports anchor for WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Upstate New York's North Country region, licensed to Carthage. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter along State Street/NY 126 in Wilna's Carthage section. The station can also be seen on Time Warner...
. In the fall of 1979, Glenn joined WPBS as a producer. In 1980, when Whiz Quiz premiered, he was co-host alongside Eddie Carvin. Glenn has been on the show since and the students and station appreciate his work.
Format
Whiz Quiz is a knock-out bracket styleBracket (tournament)
A bracket is a tree diagram that represents the series of games played during a tournament, named as such because it appears to be a large number of interconnected brackets....
tournament. A school progressively competes against other schools until that school loses. One loss means elimination from the competition. The team that competes on television consists of four players. However, a school's entire team may have many more alternates and also includes the advisor(s).
The team of four stands behind a booth with four buzzer
Buzzer
A buzzer or beeper is an audio signaling device, which may be mechanical, electromechanical, or piezoelectric. Typical uses of buzzers and beepers include alarm devices, timers and confirmation of user input such as a mouse click or keystroke....
s. In 2007 the booths were painted orange, an endorsement of WPBS's support for Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. The game lasts for 25 minutes and is divided into four rounds. Correct answers score ten points, Bonus questions score 15. The winner and runner-up of the entire competition receive trophies
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...
as well as cash scholarships granted by the Rotary Club.
The Canadian and American Finals as well as the international finals are hour-long games.
Round 1: Smart Start
The teams are individually asked questions. The other team cannot answer the question. Five seconds are given to teammates to converse with each other and ring in to give an answer. Around 12 questions are asked in this round. Questions are worth 10 points each.Round 2: One-on-One
The players are matched up against corresponding position players on the other team. Chair 1 against chair 1, Chair 2 against Chair 2, etc. Talking with teammates is not allowed in this round. 12 questions are asked in this round; 3 to each chair. Questions are worth 10 points each.Round 3: Know-And-Tell
Know-And-Tell is a toss-up round, in which either team can answer. Tossups are worth 10 points each. Conversations with team members are allowed. Some questions have bonuses attached to them. Bonus questions are worth fifteen points and awarded to the team that gets the related question right. This round concludes with a section called four of a kind. Four questions of a common topic are asked.Round 4: Think Fast
In this round, wrong answers now yield a free question for the other team that the incorrect team cannot answer. Originally, the rules stated that wrong answers would yield a deduction of points from a team's score. If a tie results at the end of this round, the game continues in a sudden death format. The next team to answer correctly wins. Questions are worth 10 points each.Whiz Quiz Canada
During December after the conclusion of the American Championship is the airing of Whiz Quiz Canada, a two-week competition involving students from eight schools in the Kingston, OntarioKingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
area; the rules of the game are the same as the American competition. That series concludes with an hour-long competition between the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
champions, which airs late in December. Debuting in 2001, the Canadian version generally runs for one week (Monday to Friday), followed by a Canadian championship tournament the following week and the international tournament the night after.
Participating High Schools
- Alexandria Bay High School
- Bayridge Secondary SchoolBayridge Secondary SchoolBayridge Secondary School is a secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, offering grades 9 to 12. The school is located in the former Kingston Township, in a neighbourhood known as Bayridge, and is part of the Limestone District School Board....
- Beaver River High School
- Belleville-Henderson High School
- Carthage High SchoolCarthage Senior High School (Carthage, New York)Carthage Senior High School is a public high school in Carthage, New York, founded in 1945. In 2005 enrollment was approximately 900 students.-References:* *...
- Clifton Fine Central School
- Colton-Pierrepont Central SchoolColton-Pierrepont Central SchoolColton-Pierrepont Central School, or CPCS, is a public school in Colton, New York State. It consists of grades Pre-kindergarten through 12 and the enrollment is around 350 students.-Curriculum:...
- Copenhagen Central School
- Edwards Knox Central School
- Franklin Academy
- Frontenac Secondary SchoolFrontenac Secondary School-History:Frontenac Secondary School was founded in 1957 under the name Collins Bay High School, and adopted its current name in 1964. FSS has a long standing tradition of excellence in academics, and post-secondary, and career preparation, athletics and the arts. Frontenac's enrollment is around...
- General Brown High School
- Gouveneur High School
- Harrisville Central School
- Hermon Dekalb Central School
- Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolHoly Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolHoly Cross Catholic Secondary School is a Catholic secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada offering education for about 1,250 students in grades 9-12. It is one of three Catholic high schools in the city. The principal is Paul Walsh.-History:The school was established in September...
- Canton High School
- Immaculate Heart Central
- Indian River High SchoolIndian River Central High School (New York)Indian River Central High School is a high school in the Indian River Central School District in Philadelphia, New York.The High School opened in 1959 as a grade 7-12 facility, currently it serves grades 9-12...
- Kingston Collegiate and Vocational InstituteKingston Collegiate and Vocational InstituteKingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute is a secondary school in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1792 by Reverend John Stuart based upon a grant for secondary education in the colony of Upper Canada, it moved to its present location in 1892. It is considered the oldest public secondary...
- LaFargeville Central School
- LaSalle Secondary School
- Lisbon Central School
- Lisgar Collegiate InstituteLisgar Collegiate InstituteLisgar Collegiate Institute is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board secondary school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Lisgar Collegiate Institute, one of the country's best regarded public schools, is located in downtown Ottawa by the Rideau Canal and is only a few blocks from Canada's Parliament Hill...
- Lowville Academy
- Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational InstituteLoyalist Collegiate and Vocational InstituteLoyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute is a secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is commonly referred to as simply "LC"...
- Lyme Central School
- Madrid-Waddington Central SchoolMadrid-Waddington Central SchoolMadrid-Waddington Central School, often shortened to MWCS, is a public school consisting of both elementary school and high school located in Madrid, New York. It is a small, rural district located in St. Lawrence County on State Highway 345 between the communities of Madrid and Waddington, New York...
- Massena Central High School
- Morristown Central School
- North Addington Education Centre
- Norwood Norfolk Central School
- Ogdensburg Free AcademyOgdensburg Free AcademyOgdensburg Free Academy is a small high school in northern New York State. It consists of around 750 or more students in the 7th through 12th grade. The famous Golden Dome is located on State Street and attracts residents from across the North Country. Ogdensburg Free Adademy is home to the Van...
- Potsdam High School
- Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational InstituteQueen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational InstituteQueen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute , or "QE", is a High School in north Kingston, Ontario, Canada.-History:QECVI opened in 1955 and since that time has instituted a number of programs focusing on specific career paths. Thriving on the enrichment of the Focus Programs due in part...
- Sackets Harbor High School
- Saint Lawrence Central School
- Sandy Creek High SchoolSandy Creek High SchoolSandy Creek High School or SCHS is located in Tyrone, Georgia, United States.Sandy Creek serves Tyrone, northern Fayetteville, and small northern portions of Fairburn and Peachtree City...
- South Jefferson High School
- South Lewis School
- Sydenham High School
- Thousand Islands Central School
- Watertown High School