TV terminology

Drop The Light

'Lower the Light Levels'. This is often yelled while shooting when the director wants to continue shooting the action of the scene after the light levels are lowered. It has nothing to do with any physical dropping of a lighting fixture during the scene.

ATSC

A committee established by the FCC to decide the technical standards for broadcasting in the US.

Cue Channel

A dedicated multi-drop phone line connected all affiliated station engineers to the network Master Control. The system was backed up with teletype too.

Prompter/AutoCue

A device mounted to the front of a camera to display the script while maintain talent's eye-line to camera.

Format Clock

A diagram produced by a programme director or a producer to illustrate where each programming element appears in a typical hour.

High definition(HD)

A digital television in 16:9 aspect ratio format. 1080 × 720 and 1920 × 1080 are common resolution formats. Also called HiDef.

Fair use

A doctrine in copyright law that provides guidelines for the limited use of copyrighted materials without obtaining permission from the copyright holder(s).

PIF (Public Information Film)

A government-produced commercial, usually shown for free, giving safety information or advice.

Digital Intermediate (DI)

A high quality digital version of a motion picture created by digitally scanning motion picture film. Often used for post- production.

IFB (interrupted feedback) system

A line of communication between the anchors and the producer in the control room. An earpiece worn by the anchor is connected to the producer's headset, allowing the producer to speak directly to an anchor while the anchor is on the air live.

Feedback

A loud noise produced when the amplified sound from an output ( loudspeaker ) is picked up by an input ( microphone, phonograph ) feeding that loudspeaker. This can be potentially damaging to both the speaker(s) in question, as well as the hearing of the subjected listener.

Bel

A measure of voltage, current or power gain

ATR

A method of recording sound by electromagnetic pulses on a sensitised plastic strip.

Miscue

A mistake by a production engineer/operator resulting in two elements being played at the same time or too early or too late.

Pilot

A one-off episode of a proposed series, usually in extended form, to gauge audience reaction. If successful, the rest of the series is made and the pilot becomes.

Live-on-tape

A pre-recorded program produced in real time, usually with a studio audience, for later broadcast. Requires precisely timed pauses for insertion of station breaks and commercials at time of broadcast.

Absolute Event

A scheduled event whose start time is determined with an assigned time based upon the facility master clock.

OOV (Out of vision)

A script instruction noting that a character is not seen when speaking. Also, in continuity announcing, the practice of speaking over a caption rather than appearing on screen.

Billboard

A short announcement to identify a sponsor at the beginning or end of a production element such as the news or traffic/weather reports

Soundbite

A small portion (usually one or two sentences) of an audio recording (often an interview) used to illustrate a news story in the words of the interviewee.

Cue Dot

A small square inserted in the corner of the picture to inform re-broadcasters that an advertisement break is about to happen. In the UK, this appeared exactly one minute before the break and disappeared 55 seconds later.

Ident

A station's symbol or logo, often accompanied by music, a jingle or an animation.

Aston

A synonym for lower thirds, the graphics on the bottom part of a television screen. An on-screen overlaid graphic, usually giving the name of the speaker, reporter or place in vision.

Non-destructive

A system where footage is never deleted within the software application. No matter what clips you delete in the application, those clips can only be deleted if you move them from the file folder to the trash from the central storage system.

Network

A system which distributes programming to multiple stations simultaneously, or slightly delayed, for the purpose of extending total broadcast coverage beyond the limits of a single radio or television signal.

NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

A television network in the United States.

Key

A video effect where a portion of the picture is electronically removed and replaced with another image.

Log

A written record of broadcasting.

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee)

An American committee formed to set the line standard and, later, color standard for broadcasting.

Breakbumper

An animation or logotype briefly shown after the end of a programme or part of a programme before the advertising. See also "optical"

Promo

An announcement (either recorded or live) used to promote the station's content or other event.

J-cut

An edit that cuts to the audio portion of the next scene before the corresponding video of the new scene is seen by the audience. Also called video delay edit.

L-cut

An edit that cuts to the video portion of the next scene before the corresponding audio of the new scene is heard by the audience. Also called audio delay edit.

Clutter

An excessive number of non-programme elements (such as commercials) appearing one after another.

A/D

Analog-to-digital conversion.

ADC

Analog-to-digital converter. A device to convert analog signals to digital.

Live

Any programming which is broadcast immediately as it is being delivered . Requires an unbroken communications chain without any intervening recording or storage technology. Considered the most exciting form of broadcasting, delivered "as it happens".

SOT (Sound on Tape)

Any video with recorded quote, music or sound intended to be aired without voiced commentary.

ASI

Asynchronous serial interface. A streaming data format which often carries an MPEG Transport Stream (MPEG-TS)

BTA

Black To Air

CBS

Columbia Broadcasting System, an American television and radio network.

DSNG

Digital Satellite news gathering. Use of digital satellite transmission from remote broadcast locations for the purpose of live television news event coverage.

DTH

Direct To Home. Television and radio programmes distributed by satellite for reception via a dish at the receiver's property.

DAC

Equipment that changes digital signals into pictures or sound.

PGF (Pink and Green Flashing)

Flashing on a video signal usually caused by a disturbance to the SDI input/output of broadcast equipment

B-Roll

Footage shot in addition to the main subject. Often backgrounds, visual features etc.

Optical

Generically, any on-screen graphic. Specifically, a graphic inserted between a programme and an advertisement or between individual advertisements.

Producer

Have a responsible for the television show's overall quality, budget and survivability, though the roles depend on the particular show or organization..

Cheating (out)

Having talent stand at an unnatural angle to improve camera's view

Ingest

Non-linear editing process of copying all the good program footage to a computer hard drive, archive or server

Artifacts

Noticeable loss of video and/or audio fidelity in a broadcast or recording caused by limitations in the technology used.

Decibel (dB)

One tenth of a bel. See also Bel.

ITU

Originally the International Telegraph Union, the ITU is the international organization established in 1865 to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications.

OB

Outside Broadcasting from remote locations

Coverage

Percentage of households that can tune into a radio station within the theoretical broadcast radius.

Hammocking

Placing a new or poorly-performing programme between two established popular programmes in order to boost viewing figures.

Lower third

Portion of screen of regular broadcast reserved for textual and static visual content; i.e., news ticker, time, title of segment, title of programme, channel bug, etc.

Pay-per-view

Reception of a scrambled film or sporting event after the payment of a one-off fee for that broadcast.

Analog recording

Recording of audio using an electronic signal that varies continuously.

Contrast Ratio

Relationship between the brightest and darkest objects in the television/film image

Newsticker(ornewscrawl)

Scrolling ticker at the bottom of the display of television content. It is usually reserved for text headlines or numeric statistics (or both) depending upon the focus of the channel.

SB

Simultaneous Broadcasting (Simulcast). British term for the broadcast of the same programme from multiple transmitters on multiple stations.

Bug

Slang term for a DOG (Digital on-screen graphic) permanent on screen logo

Cans

Slang term for headphones

Pips

Slang term for the time signal broadcast by some radio stations at the top of the hour. the first episode.

Nielsen ratings

Survey of US viewers by the AC Nielsen Company to establish the audiences for individual programmes and their demographics.

iTV (Interactive Television)

Systems that allow viewers to interact (e.g. play games, shop for related items or find further information) either two-way, via a telephone line, or one-way, via MHEG graphics.

DBS

Television and radio programmes distributed by satellite for reception via a dish at the receiver's property.

PAL (Phase Alternating Line)

Television broadcast system used in Europe and Australia & New Zealand, also parts of Asia, Africa and South America.

Mainstream media

Television news programming that is expected to provide a fair and unbiased presentation of facts, without any particular viewpoint.

Breaking news

Term used for interruptions of regular or planned programming for recently- occurring events as reported by a news organization or agency.

Closed Captioning

Text version of a programme's dialogue, overlayed on the screen by an equipped television set for the hearing impaired.

DVB

The MPEG-2 based standard of digital transmission and reception. Comes in variants according to the type of broadcast, eg DVB- T for terrestrial.

Letterbox

The appearance of black bars at the top and bottom of a picture when 16:9 or 14:9 widescreen material is shown on 4:3 sets.

Pillarbox

The appearance of blank bars on either side of the picture when 4:3 material is shown on a 16:9 widescreen television set.

Bandwidth

The available space between two given points on the electromagnetic spectrum and, inter alia, the amount of information that can be squeezed into that space.

Analog Transmission

The broadcasting of a signal using an analog recording. Examples of use include radio.

OFCOM (Office of Communications)

The broadcasting regulator in the United Kingdom.

Compositing

The combining, through key and matte processing, of 2 or more images

Depth of Field (DoF)

The distance between the closest point to the camera that is in focus and the farthest point that is also in focus.

Line standard

The number of lines broadcast to make up a television picture. Generally (in SD), 525 in NTSC areas and 625 elsewhere.

FPS (frames per second)

The number of times the television is refreshed in a second of time. As a rule of thumb, this is the same as the local Alternating Current electricity supply - 60 Hz or 50 Hz.

Aspect ratio

The ratio between the width and the height of the picture

Aircheck

The recorded copy of a broadcast. This can be a digital or analog recording.

FCC (Federal Communications Commission)

The regulator of broadcasting in the United States.

Encryption

The scrambling of a signal to allow reception via a decoder only be specific viewers, eg after the payment of a fee.

Lav mic

The smallest type of mic that can be worn by talent and is attached to clothing at or near the breastbone with a small clip or pin. Sometimes referred to as a lapel mic or lavaliere mic.

Dolby Digital

The standard for 5.1 channel (surround sound) audio. Six discrete channels are used (Left, Center, Right, Left Rear Surround, Right Rear Surround, and Subwoofer).

Crossfade

The technique where a producer or engineer fades out the out going track at the same time as fading in the new track.

Dead air

The time on-air where there is no audible transmission.

Access Time

The total time required to find, retrieve and commence using information, also known as Lead Time.

Copy

The written material used in producing a PSA, promo, or commercial that is meant to be read out by the DJ or presenter.

Cue Sheet

This can refer to either a list of events for a TV program or the list of talent required to be at the location or studio on a given day. Often call a "Call Sheet"

Pro bono

To perform professional work that is beneficial to the public at large for little to no money.

Ad-lib

To speak or act unscripted

Nat/VO

Video Only with Natural Sound. Video with natural sound intended to be accompanied by a news correspondent reading a news story. Sometimes called OOV (Out Of Vision).

Crash

When an announcement, jingle or graphic overlaps with a fixed point in the schedule (eg the news or a time signal), usually due to poor timing.

Screenburn

Where a permanent mark is burnt into the mask of the TV screen due to prolonged display. Common with sets tuned to one channel for promotional purposes or on ordinary sets from Bugs inserted by broadcasters. Also known as Phosphor burn-in.

Archive

a term for storage and can refer to the following: Storage of master material under controlled conditions, Long term storage of material on an offline storage medium, Archive Copy is a master copy intended solely for storage and not to be used in distribution.

Cueing

an instruction (visual or audible) to start an event. For example to a news reader to start reading, an actor to begin a performance or to a technical operator to perform a function (play audio, change lighting etc)