Question

read the passage. when heidi transformed televised football on november 17, 1968, football fans across the united states sat glued to their televisions. a close game between two top teams—the new york jets and the oakland raiders—was being broadcast. when the jets pulled ahead with only fifty seconds remaining, viewers went wild. but then, just as the raiders were bringing the ball across midfield, the game disappeared from the screen! in its place, a previously scheduled childrens movie, heidi, started playing. callers flooded the tv networks phone lines, but it was too late. the raiders scored two touchdowns in the very final moments—touchdowns that were unseen by all but west coast viewers. as a result of the interrupted event, dubbed \the heidi game,\ television networks began delaying their regularly scheduled programs until football games had ended. what is the main, or central, idea of the passage? after heidi interrupted a crucial moment during a televised football game, networks began to delay regularly scheduled shows until football games were over. after heidi interrupted a crucial moment during a televised football game, the tv network received numerous calls from angry viewers who were unable to watch the final moments of the game.

Explanation:

The passage details the 1968 "Heidi game" where the children's movie Heidi cut off the final moments of a close football game. It emphasizes that this incident led to a permanent change: TV networks started delaying regular programs until football games concluded. The first option captures this full cause-and-effect central idea, while the second only focuses on the immediate viewer reaction, which is a supporting detail, not the main point.

Answer:

After Heidi interrupted a crucial moment during a televised football game, networks began to delay regularly scheduled shows until football games were over.