Editing It's Academic (section)

{{Short description|American quiz show}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = It's Academic 2009-12-12.jpg
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| caption              = ''It's Academic'' being taped, Studio A at NBC-owned WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., December 12, 2009
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| genre                = [[Student quiz show]], [[game show]]
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| country              = United States
| language             = English
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| first_aired          = {{Start date|1961}}
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[[Image:Mac McGarry - It's Academic.jpg|thumb|right|Mac McGarry hosts ''It's Academic'' in Washington, D.C. on December 12, 2009]]
'''''It's Academic''''' is the name for a number of [[Television|televised]] academic [[student quiz show]]s for high school students through the United States and internationally. ''It's Academic'' programs have notably aired on [[NBC]]-owned [[WRC-TV]] (and, as of October 29, 2022, exclusively on [[PBS]] member station [[WETA-TV]]) in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[NBC]] affiliate [[WVIR-TV]] in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]], and [[CBS]]-owned [[WJZ-TV]] in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]].{{update inline|date=January 2024}}

The Washington, D.C. version of the show has been on the air since October 7, 1961, and is recognized by the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the longest-running quiz program in TV history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-running-tv-quiz-show|title=Longest running TV quiz show|publisher=Guinness World Records}}</ref> The program was created for WRC by Sophie Altman, who continued as executive producer until her death on May 24, 2008. [[Mac McGarry]] hosted the Washington shows from the beginning until June 25, 2011. [[Hillary Howard]], formerly a news anchor for Washington radio station [[WTOP-FM]], took over as host subsequent to McGarry's official retirement in November 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2617677|title = WTOP &#124; Washington's Top News &#124; DC, MD & VA News, Traffic & Weather}}</ref> The program is sponsored by philanthropist investor [[David Rubenstein]] and by the McLean, Virginia-based [[Mitre Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=668:blake-high-school-sets-an-academic-record&Itemid=766|title=Blake High School sets an academic record|date=10 Jul 2014|first=Bonnie|last=Katz|website=The Sentinel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114149/https://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=668:blake-high-school-sets-an-academic-record&Itemid=766|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=2014-08-26}}</ref>