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An experiment was conducted testing Armstrong and Greenberg's (1990) model of the effect of background television on cognitive performance, as it applies to reading comprehension and memory. Subjects completed a cued‐recall test of the content of an expository prose passage read under quiet conditions or concurrently with the presence of one of two types of television content (prime‐time drama versus commercials). Effects on immediate versus delayed recall were examined. Overall, significant deleterious effects of background television were found, controlling for prior abilities and motivation. Deleterious effects were stronger and more consistent when testing occurred immediately after reading, rather than after a five‐minute filled delay. Background commercials resulted in more consistently negative effects than did TV drama.