Final answer:
Affiliates are local TV stations supplied with programming and services by a single television network. They broadcast national network programming to their local viewers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is Option D: Affiliates. Affiliates are local TV stations that are supplied programming and services by a single television network. These stations broadcast national network programming to their local viewers.
For example, ABC affiliates receive ABC programming and are told when to air programs or commercials. They prioritize network news and other chosen programming.
In the event of a local or national emergency, affiliates may diverge from regular programming to inform the public and then return to the scheduled programming.
Before the existence of cable and fiber optics, networks needed to own local affiliates to reach viewers through local transmission towers.
However, cable technology has lessened networks' dependence on aerial signals, and cable networks can now operate without local affiliates by transmitting programming directly to local cable company hubs.