Enrichment · Passion Projects · Broadcast

Hit the slot
to the
second.

A rundown is a list of promises about the clock. Type the segments and their times; the calculator gives the front and back time a producer calls in the booth, and what to cut or pad.

Time the showWhat you get

The rundown timing calculator

The worked example is a 15-minute school news show. Nothing you type leaves this browser.

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What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
A timed rundown with each segment’s front time, back time and running total, how far the show is over or under, and when it goes off the air. It prints as a rundown and downloads as a spreadsheet.
Who it is for
Student producers and anchors, journalism and media teachers, and the teams behind morning announcements, school podcasts and streams.
Format
Browser calculator for a phone, tablet or computer, by touch or keyboard. Prints the rundown; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); export and import a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions, a correction or a request: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Type the air time and the length of the slot.
  2. List the segments in air order with their running times.
  3. Read over or under and cut or pad before rehearsal.
  4. Retime after the run-through.
  5. Print the rundown for the booth and the anchors.

Time the show

How the rundown is timed

Two clocks: one counting up, one counting down.

The worked example: a 15-minute school news showOn air8:00:00the slot opens+ 3 segments3:25open, lead, menuInterview front8:03:25back time 11:35Whole rundown13:551:05 underThe worked example: a 15-minute school news showOn air8:00:00the slot opens+ 3 segments3:25open, lead, menuInterview front8:03:25back time 11:35Whole rundown13:551:05 under
Front time adds the running total to the air time; back time subtracts it from the slot.

Front time

Front time is when a segment should start on the wall clock: the air time plus everything before it. If a segment starts late, everything after it moves, which is why producers watch it.

Back time

Back time counts down: the time left in the slot as each segment starts. It tells the producer how much show remains, so a late running show can be fixed by cutting a soft segment near the end rather than rushing the close.

Sources

  1. Radio Television Digital News Association. Resources for student and early-career journalists (rtdna.org).
  2. Journalism Education Association. Broadcast and multimedia curriculum resources (jea.org).
  3. Tuggle, C. A., Carr, F., and Huffman, S. Broadcast News Handbook: Writing, Reporting, and Producing. McGraw-Hill.
  4. Student Television Network. Student broadcast production resources (studenttelevision.com).

The worked example’s show and segments are an example. Your entries stay in this browser. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.