The high cost of productions is severely limiting which operas are available to the public. These costs necessitate reliance on large corporate sponsors, who in return demand that only the most famous operas be produced. Determining which operas will be produced should rest only with ticket purchasers at the box office, not with large corporate sponsors. If we reduce production budgets so that operas can be supported exclusively by box-office receipts and donations from individuals, then the public will be able to see less famous operas.

Which one of the following, if true, would weaken the argument?

(A) A few ticket purchasers go to the opera for the sake of going to the opera, not to see specific operatic productions.
(B) The reduction of opera production budgets would not reduce the desire of large corporate sponsors to support operas.
(C) Without the support of large corporate sponsors, opera companies could not afford to produce any but the most famous of operas.
(D) Large corporate sponsors will stop supporting opera productions if they are denied control over which operas will be produced.
(E) The combination of individual donations and box-office receipts cannot match the amounts of money obtained through sponsorship by large corporations.

Please support your answers with reasons...

C.

If this is the answer then i will share my .02 dollars worth

C
A) A few ticket purchasers go to the opera for the sake of going to the opera, not to see specific operatic productions.
- this one strengthens the argument -> a few go to any opera
(B) The reduction of opera production budgets would not reduce the desire of large corporate sponsors to support operas.
- not related to the question
(C) Without the support of large corporate sponsors, opera companies could not afford to produce any but the most famous of operas.
- opera companies will produce only famous operas, therefore there will be more not less famous operas -> weakens the argument
(D) Large corporate sponsors will stop supporting opera productions if they are denied control over which operas will be produced.
- this is part of the assumption
(E) The combination of individual donations and box-office receipts cannot match the amounts of money obtained through sponsorship by large corporations.
- not related

errrr... C? And only by POE.
The information that:
"Without the support of large corporate sponsors, opera companies could not afford to produce any but the most famous of operas."
indicates that box office sales and donations would not be enough to cover productions even after reducing the budget.