Published by Emil Abraham, June 26th, 2019

1. Across mike: Referring to the technique of speaking sideways to a microphone, rather than directly into it, to reduce hissing, popping, and explosive sounds.
2. Across-the-board: A program or commercial scheduled at the same time each day, generally Monday through Friday; also called strip.
3. Actuality: A live or taped news report broadcast from the scene, containing the voice(s) of the newsmaker(s), as well as of the reporter.
4. Ad hoc network: A group of stations that is formed for a special purpose, such as the showing of a one-time TV program or series. Ad hoc is Latin for "for this."
5. ADI: Area of Dominant Influence.
6. Adjacency: A commercial or program preceding or following another on a radio or TV station or network, or the time period itself.
7. Affidavit: A notarized record of commercial and public service announcements aired by a station, listing broadcast date and time, provided to advertisers; also called an affidavit of performance.
8. Affiliate: A station that contractually agrees to carry programs of the network with which it is affiliated. The station may be owned by the network but generally is independently owned.
9. Air: The medium for radio and TV broadcasting. A station or program, when broadcast, is on the air or airing.
10. Air check: An audio or video transcription or recording, made from an actual broadcast, of a radio or TV commercial or program. Technically, a typed transcript is not an air check, although it sometimes is called that.
11. Air date: The time of a broadcast.
12. Ad-lib: something that is made up as one goes along, or that is unscripted. TV anchors are expected to have the ability to easily and credibly ad-lib during breaking news, unexpected events in your newscast or when your teleprompter crashes.
13. AFP: Advertiser Funded Programme – a programme funded by an advertiser rather than by a broadcaster.
14. A-roll: The primary footage for non-narrative or interview based film, and usually refers to talking heads or footage that directly relates to the moment.
15. B-Roll: In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel or B reel is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. The term A-roll referring to the main footage has fallen out of usage.
16. ARPU: Average Revenue Per User subscribing to pay-TV services –includes transactional revenue such as gambling and video gaming.
17. Audience: Population or target group viewing a television programme or an advertising campaign
18. Brainstorming is a method for generating ideas to solve a design problem. It usually involves a group, under the direction of a facilitator. The strength of brainstorming is the potential participants have in drawing associations between their ideas in a free-thinking environment, thereby broadening the solution space.
19. Camera script: Adds full details of the production treatment to the left side of the "rehearsal script" and usually also includes the shot numbers, cameras used, positions of camera, basic shot details, camera moves, and switcher instructions (if used).
20. Chromakey, Chroma-key, or chroma key: An electronic process that alters the background scene without affecting the foreground, also called color-separation overlay (abbreviated CSO). In the Chromakey system, a saturated color (usually blue) forms a hole in the background picture so that a second video source (such as a camera) can fill this area.
21. Circle-in: An optical effect in which a picture diminishes and disappears as it is replaced by a second picture that grows in a circle from the center; the opposite of a circle-out. It is also called iris in(whose opposite is iris out).
22. Continuity: A quality of a script, giving the broadcaster a continuous flow of spoken words. A continuity acceptance department (or continuity clearance department) reviews programming and advertising to eliminate unsubstantiated claims and illegal or objectionable material. Also, the impression that events, scenes, and shots flow smoothly and naturally in proper sequence, without any inconsistent transitions (continuity flaws).
23. Cost per point (CPP): The cost of purchasing or delivering one gross rating point (GRP). It is a measure of media efficiency and is determined by dividing the cost of the advertising by the gross audience rating points.
25. Crawl: A body of typed information, such as a news bulletin, promotional message, telephone number, or cast credits, that is transmitted in a continuous flow across all or part of a TV screen (often the bottom); also called a crawl roll. The effect is produced by mounting the text on a drumlike mechanism, the crawl roll. The crawl can be horizontal (across the top or bottom of the screen) or vertical (from the bottom, moving up). It is positioned in the crawl space.
27. Cue card: The talent may read questions or specific points from a cue card that is positioned near the camera. Generally it is held next to the camera lens.
29. Cutaway: In film and video, a cutaway shot is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else.[1] It is usually followed by a cut back to the first shot, when the cutaway avoids a jump cut.[2] The cutaway shot does not necessarily contribute any dramatic content of its own, but is used to help the editor assemble a longer sequence.
31. Daypart: A programming segment of a broadcast schedule, such as morning and afternoon drive time and night watch for radio, and morning, afternoon, early, and late fringe for television.Dayparting is the scheduling of programs at specific parts of the day, targeted to specific audiences that are predominant during those times.
33. Dead air: A broadcasting term for silence, perhaps resulting from a dead mike (inoperative microphone).
35. Dead roll: A technique of starting a taped program or a film at its scheduled time on a station but not broadcasting it, so that the preceding program, specifically a live sports or news event, is continued. When the live program ends, the dead rolling tape or film is telecast at the point it has rolled to, usually with the announcement, "We now join the program already in progress."
37. Dissolve: An optical technique to produce a gradual change in scenes. The progressive blending of the end of one shot into the beginning of the next is produced by the superimposition of a fade-out into a fade-in or by putting the camera gradually out of or into focus (a cross-dissolve). When the images are both at half-strength, they overlap; the effect is called a lap, lap-dissolve, mix, or cross-lap. An out-of-focus dissolve is a transition in which one shot is faded out of focus while another shot is faded in. Dissolve in is to fade in; dissolve out, to fade out. Dissolve-lapse is a series of brief shots filmed at different times and linked with fast transitions, similar to a time lapse.
39. Demographics: Basic descriptors used to classify respondents - such as age, sex, marital status, occupation, social grade etc.
41. Dolly: A mobile platform with three of four wheels for carrying a microphone, camera, or other items. A dolly shot (the process is called dollying, tracking, or trucking) shifts the viewpoint of the camera, often by a crew member called a dolly pusher or dolly grip, and is taken while the dolly is in motion. To dolly-in, dolly up, or camera up is to move the camera platform closer toward the subject; to dolly-out is to move it away and is also called camera back, dolly-back, truck back, or pull back.
42. Dubbing: The process of recording, such as making a duplicate of a film or tape or replacing dialogue or a soundtrack with new material, as in a different language or with a singer, actor, or other performer replacing the original. The process may require a dubbing cue sheet with the existing and new versions and be recorded at a dubbing session in a dubbing studio or at a looping stage.
44. Electronic character generator (ECG): A typewriter-like machine that produces weather reports, sports scores, identifications, and other lettering as part of a TV picture.
46. Electronic cue: An audio or video signal indicating the end of a tape or other instruction.
48. Electronic editing: The use of a computer or control board, rather than manual splicing, for the editing, or cutting, of tape.
50. Electronic field production (EFP): The use of equipment (generally portable, such as a minicam, or electronic camera) outside a TV studio to produce non-news material, such as programming or commercials.
52. Endcue: The last few words--generally four--of a taped report or interview, an important guide to the engineer, producer, director, and newscaster; also called an outcue.
54. End/end: A notation at the end of a broadcast script or other item, similar to # # # and other notations.
56. ENG: Electronic news gathering.
58. Establishing shot: An opening comprehensive view, a long or wide shot to set the scene or acquaint the audience with the setting, characters, or plot, followed by details and closer action; also called an orientation shot.
60. Extreme close-up (ecu or xcu): A tight camera shot, close in and limited to one part of the subject.
62. Eye bounce: A technique, recommended to speakers on TV programs, in which the eyes do not move horizontally. Instead, to achieve a side-to-side movement, the speaker looks down and then to the side. Eye bounce avoids a glaze or an appearance of being shifty-eyed.
64. Eye contact: The practice of looking a person in the eyes. In film and TV, eye contact is achieved by looking directly into the camera.
66. Eyeline: The direction the eyes are looking. In TV, a cheated eyeline occurs when a performer does not look directly at a subject, such as another performer, but turns somewhat toward the camera. Clear the eyeline is a cue to remove any people who are in the actor's line of vision, other than performers who are supposed to be in the scene.
68. Eyewitness news: A TV news format featuring on-the-scene reporters, generally shot with a minicam, a portable electronic camera.
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70. Fade: To vary in intensity, as a gradual change of audio or video, as in fade to white (an instruction to change from dark to white), fade to black, or fade to red. A crossfade is the fading out of one element while fading in another.
72. Field: The part of a scene--called field of view, field of action or action field--that's visible at any given moment or the area of a video screen on which identification titles or other text or art may be inserted. A field pickup is a remote transmission, not from the studio. In TV transmission in the United State, 60 fields are transmitted per second, each one containing either the odd or even scanning lines of the picture (odd or even fields), so that one field equals half of a picture frame.
74. Field producer: A person who works outside the headquarters studio--in the field--to supervise the production of programs or segments, as of a news program.
76. File film: Stock footage from the library, or file, of a TV station or other source. When used as background material in a TV newscast, file film generally is identified by a line at the top or bottom of the screen with the date on which it was originally taken.
78. Fitting: An adjustment. A TV fitting is a type of rehearsal, generally of a forthcoming live news event such as a political convention, in which stand-ins are used to test camera angles and other technical details.
80. Five and under: A TV role in which a performer has a maximum of five lines. A larger number requires a higher payment.
82. Flagship station: The principal or showpiece station of a broadcast network or group.
84. Flight: An advertising campaign, generally for radio or TV, that runs for a specific period, such as four weeks.
86. Flip card: A board or card with a title, name, or message, used on TV or in a show or presentation; also called a cue card.
88. Flipover or flip-over: A transitional optical effect, akin to turning over a page; also called a flip, flip frame, flip wipe, flipover wipe, flopover, optical flop, orturnaround.
90. Foldback: A type of small loudspeaker commonly used in a TV studio or on a stage so that performers can hear music or other sound; also called playback.
91. Follow shot: A movement of a camera to follow the action; also called a following shot, action shot, moving shot, running shot, or tracking shot.
92. footage: Length. A portion of a film is called footage, such as daily footage or news footage.
94. Free-to-air: TV channels broadcast by various means but offered free to end-users, who do not have to pay any subscription in order to receive them
96. Format (running order):The show format lists the items or program segments in a show in the order they are to be shot. The format generally shows the duration of each segment and possibly the camera assignments.
98. Gaffer: The head electrician.
100. Gain: Increase of signal power, particularly sound volume. The control that regulates the volume or another level is called the gain, as in turn up the gain. To ride the gain is to monitor the control indicator. To gain-up is to increase; digital gain-up is a feature on video cameras that electronically stores an image for a fraction of a second to accumulate light so that a dark picture can be lightened.
102. Full script: A fully scripted program includes detailed information on all aspects of the production. This includes the precise words that the talent/actors are to use in the production.
104. Hard news: Reports of events of timeliness and/or importance. A hard-news-show set generally has the newspersons, or anchors, at a desk; a soft-news-show set--such as the magazine-style daytime programs--often has a couch or other furniture suggesting a living room.
106. Holdover audience: That portion of a television or radio audience for one program who were tuned to the previous program on the same station; also called an inherited audience or a carry-over audience.
108. Infomercial: An extended commercial message, generally lasting between 3 and 30 minutes and including product demonstration
110. Infotainment: A combination of information and entertainment, such as that provided by some of the cable-television services.
112. ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network - digital, high bandwidth telephone lines that can deliver data over the Internet. Data, including encoded audio and video, travels at 128K bits per second over an ISDN line.
114. Jump cut: A transition in a film or TV program that breaks continuous time by skipping forward from one part of an action to another, obviously separated from the first by a space of time. Also, a transition in which an object moves (jumps) from one place to another.
116. Kinescope: A film of a transmitted television picture; also called kine, pronounced KIN-ney. Kinescopes, which have been replaced by videotape, are no longer common. Originally, kine-scope was a synonym for picture tube.
118. Lavaliere (lav): A microphone worn like a necklace.
120. Lead off: The first item in a newscast, or the first program in a series.
122. Leader: Non-magnetic strips of tape (either paper or plastic) at the beginning and end of audio cassette or reel-to-reel tape.
124. Lead-in: An introduction, such as by a newscaster preceding a report or a brief segment at the beginning of a sitcom or other program.
126. Letterbox format: The ratio of width to height (the aspect ratio) used in showing a film on TV so that the film has the same relative dimensions as it did when shown in a widescreen movie theater. Films shown on a TV screen generally do not have their original aspect ratio.
128. Level: The degree of sound volume. A radio engineer or recording-studio technician may ask for a level--that is, request that the performers speak in order to determine a general setting of the volume controls.
130. Lift: A portion of a radio or TV commercial for use as a shorter, separate commercial. For example, to save on production costs, a 30-second commercial can be produced with a 10-second lift within it, for use as a separate 10-second identification.
132. Lift microphone: A directional microphone with an acoustical transmission line in front of the transducer, often with a pole at least 2 feet long. Commonly used in film and TV studios, it sometimes is called a shotgun microphone.
134. Man on the street (MOS): An interviewing technique in which the opinions of the general public are sought.
136. Minicam: A small, self-contained portable TV camera for videotaping on-site news events. When linked to a mobile transmission unit (minicam van), the minicam can provide live coverage at relatively low cost. It thus has tremendously changed TV news programs at all types of stations.
137. Minimicrowave: A term for the transmission of a video signal from a nonstudio site--such as a news event--to a mobile unit or a transmitter on a nearby roof. The transmitter then sends the signal directly to the station or possibly to one or more intermediate points, such as atop a tall building or other high point.
139. Miniseries: A short series or sequence of related programs, such as one every night for five consecutive nights rather than one a week over a 13-week or other extended period.
141. Miracast is a standard for wireless connections from devices (such as laptops, tablets, or smartphones) to displays (such as TVs, monitors or projectors), introduced in 2012 by the Wi-Fi Alliance. It can roughly be described as "HDMI over Wi-Fi", replacing the cable from the device to the display.
143. Mix: To record separate soundtracks into a single track (to subdub), or to blend audio and visual components to produce a master (from which copies are made), an optical dissolve, a rerecording, or some other combination or mixture, called a mix.
145. Mix minus: A feature that prevents a broadcaster from hearing his or her own voice echo back.
147. Mixdown: A combination of two or more audio sources, sometimes produced with a complex mixer called an automated mixdown. To mix down is to create such a combination.
149. Mixer: The unit that controls and blends audio and/or video signals; the technician who operates the unit (also called a rerecording supervisor or chief recording mixer). In a TV studio or on a film set,the work is done by a floor mixer. A music mixer edits recorded music. The mixing console (generally called simply a mixer) combines premixed tracks (as in the first phase of mixing) with signals from playback machines and other sources, including a mixing panel (a small mixer), based on instructions on a mixing cue sheet.
151. Mobile unit: A vehicle for originating broadcasts from on-the-spot locations, away from the studio, or for carrying equipment for on-location film or tape production; also called a mobile production unit.
153. Outline script: Usually provides the prepared dialog for the opening and closing and then lists the order of topics that should be covered. The talent will use the list as they improvise throughout the production.
155. Over the top (OTT) is a term used to refer to content providers that distribute streaming media as a standalone product directly to viewers over the Internet, bypassing telecommunications, multichannel television, and broadcast television platforms that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.
157. Panel: Representative survey sample from which data are collected over time
159. Package: A radio or TV program or a combination of radio or TV programs or commercial spots offered to a sponsor as a unit, usually at a discount; a taped television report, generally :45 (45 seconds) to 2:30 (2 1/2 minutes)--a short package. A long package is a special report or a report to be edited and broadcast over a period of days (a two-parter, three-parter, four-parter, or five parter).
161. Paid for: A line, required by federal law, spoken at the end of a broadcast political commercial or inserted at the bottom of a printed advertisement, indicating the source of payment ("Paid for by the Jones for Congress Committee").
163. PAL: Phase-alternation system.
165. Pan: A direction given to the person operating the camera, so that camera eye moves slowly and evenly, vertically or horizontally, in a panorama (the source of the term). A pan shot also is called a blue pan, swish, whipshot, or wiz pan. The process of laterally moving the camera to photograph a wide view is called panning.
167. Pan and scan: A technique for changing the aspect ratio of the frame of a wide-screen film so that it can be transmitted for TV.
169. Pitch: A pitch is a concise verbal (and sometimes visual) presentation of an idea for a film or TV series generally made by a screenwriter or film director to a film producer or studio executive in the hope of attracting development finance to pay for the writing of a screenplay.
171. Prime time: The time period that has the greatest number of viewers or listeners, generally 8 to 11 p.m., Eastern Time.
173. PTC: A piece to camera is the television and film term used for when a presenter or a character speaks directly to the viewing audience through the camera. It is most common when a news or television show presenter is reporting or explaining items to the viewing audience.
175. Promo: Short for promotion (the short-form plural is promos). The term refers to the overall activity conducted by a radio or TV station, or any organization, designed to help sell a particular product or service. More specifically, the word refers to the preliminary advertisement or announcement of a radio or TV program, broadcast earlier in the day of the program or on the preceding day or days.
177. Promotional spot: A commercial advertising a program, station, or network.
178. Prompter: A device to enable speakers and performers to read a script while looking at the audience or at the camera. In video prompters, the prompter copy is typed on ordinary 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper that are taped to become continuous rolls, or is typed on rolls of paper called computer video prompters. In professional prompter systems, the prompter copy then is scanned by a vidicon camera and transmitted to one or more prompter/monitor readouts that are mounted on or off a TV camera. The prompter script can be superimposed over the taking lens of the TV camera so that it is visible to the speaker but not transmitted to the home viewer.
180. Pronouncer: The phonetic spelling of a word, particularly important in helping announcers pronounce foreign names. The Associated Press issues a pronunciation guide twice a day for broadcasters.
182. PSA or P.S.A.: Public service announcement.
184. Q-rating: A qualitative evaluation of performers, companies, brands, and TV programs, a technique developed by Marketing Evaluations, Inc., of Port Washington, NY.
186. Quad split: A TV switching effect to produce four different images on the screen at the same time.
188. Quarter-hour persons: Individuals who have listened to a radio station for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period.
190. Rating: The popularity of a program, abbreviated as RTG. The AA rating is for Average Audience, which Nielsen expresses in four ways: (1) percentage of households tuned to a program in an average minute; (2) percentage of all TV households; (3) share of audience during an average minute of the program, expressed as a percentage of all TV households using TV at the time; and (4) average audience per quarter hour, expressed as a percentage of all possible TV homes. The key figure is the percentage of all TV households.
192. Rating point: The size of a radio or TV audience expressed as a percentage of the total potential audience.
194. Rehearsal script: Usually includes the cast/character list, production team details, rehearsal arrangements, and so forth. There is generally a synopsis of the plot or storyline, location, time of day, stage/location instructions, action, dialog, effects cues, and audio instructions.
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198. Reach: The cumulative percentage of a population measured to have viewed at least once, for a specified consecutive period of time (typically 1+, 3+ or 20+ mins)
200. Rosr: Radio on-scene report, which features a reporter's voice from a news scene, generally without background sound.
202. Rostrum camera: An adjustable camera commonly used in TV and film animation to shoot artwork or other graphics on a table or other horizontal surface.
204. Rotation: The random scheduling of commercials at unspecified times.
207. Scene: Each scene covers a complete continuous action sequence.
209. Screenplay: A screenplay, or script, is a written work by screenwriters for a film, television program or video game. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression and dialogues of the characters are also narrated.
211. Script: The text of a speech, play, film, commercial, or program or simply a schedule or sequential account written by a scriptwriter.
213. Scroll: A roll, especially for a document; a function on a video screen in which the lines move up and down for viewing. The process is called scrolling. To scroll up or down is to move the material up or down on the screen.
215. Sequence: A series of single shots to form a unit or episode. A basic sequence in film or TV is a series of related shots, such as a long shot as an opening and establishing shot and a medium shot as a close-up and reestablishing shot. To shoot in sequence is to film in the chronological order of the story or the order in which the production schedule is set up; the opposite is to shoot out of sequence. A sequence shot or plan-sequence is a single shot, generally a long take of a minute or more.
217. Set: The decor of a stage play or the location of a film, TV, or other production. To set is to write or fit, as with words to music or music to words; to place a scene in a locale, or to arrange sceneries or properties on a stage. A set designer or set decorator creates the decor of a play, movie, or show; a set dresser constructs and decorates it with set dressing--props, furnishings, and related items. An abstract sethas a neutral background, as on a TV news program. A basic set is empty and without props.
220. SME: Subject Matter Expert, also referred to as SME, is a person who has special skills or knowledge on a particular job or topic. The subject matter expert has a particular territory in which he or she has demonstrated above-average knowledge or experience.
222. S.O.T.: Sound-on-tape: sound and video recorded on the same machine, as distinguished from sync-sound recording with separate video and sound tape recorders.
224. Sound: The programming format or orientation of a radio station. A sound engineer is responsible for the audio portion of a broadcast. The sound-effects person, generally called a sound man, is responsible for the sound effects, or sounds other than music and human voices, abbreviated as S.E. or S.F.X. Direct sound is from a source onscreen, as compared to offscreen sound, whose source is offscreen.
226. Sound effects (SE, S.E., SFX, or S.F.X.): Animals, traffic, weather, and sounds other than dialogue and music, produced from an actual source or artificially.
228. Soundbite: The audio track of a portion of a radio or TV interview. A 15-second soundbite is common radio newscasts.
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230. Spec script: A spec script for television is typically one of two things. It's either an episode of an existing televisionshow or it's an original piece of work such as a television pilot.
232. Spot: Advertising time purchased on an individual basis as compared to a multistation network or other national purchase. The broadcast commercial itself is called a spot or spot announcement.News items, public service messages, and segments of a program also are called spots. The first spot opens a show; the last spot closes it. A wild spot is a spot announcement of a national or regional advertiser used on station breaks between programs on a local station. A spot carrier is a syndicated program available to several advertisers. Spot programming, or spotting, is the purchase of time by spot buyers from local stations as indicated on a spot schedule, or list of spots, which is so extensive that local station advertising in general is called spot or spot sales on spot radio or spot TV. Spots purchased on network programs are called network participation or network spot buy. A spot program is a local broadcast.
234. Standing set: A set that has been constructed and is ready to be used or is in place for continued use, as in a TV soap opera or a theatrical production.
236. Stand-up: An on-site TV report or interview, as compared to in-studio.
238. Stop set: A period of time, generally two minutes, during which commercials are broadcast.
240. Storyboard: A series of illustrations (storyboard sketches) or layouts of scenes in a proposed TV commercial or other work, used as a guide prior to production. A storyboard artist does storyboarding; also called a production illustrator or sketch artist.
242. Straight up: A broadcast signal, such as to an announcer, to start when the clock's second hand is at 12; not the same as stand-up.
244. Stream: Data, in the form of an encoded text, audio and/or video, that is requested by a computer user and delivered via the Internet.
245. Sweep: A period of the year in November, February, May, and July when rating services measure station audiences. During sweeps, networks and stations employ more sensational programming and audience contests and promotions. A sweeps report is published by a research organization such as Nielsen for each sweep month. Also, the repetitive movement of the cathode beam over the phosphor screen of the two sweeps, one traces horizontal lines and the other moves vertically at a slower rate.
247. Switch: A direction to move or change, as from one camera or video source to another or to change camera angles. The device (video mixer) or person (studio engineer) responsible for camera mixing or switching is called a switch or switcher. Switching is the selection process among the various audio and video sources in a production.
249. TelePrompTer: A trademarked visual prompting device for speakers and television performers that reproduces the current portion of the script in enlarged letters, originally made by a New York-based company no longer in business. Its device, attached to the TV camera so that performers can look into the camera, was called a TelePrompTer, which has become a generic term for a teleprompter, also called a teleprompt.
251. Terrestrial feed: Radio, TV, or other transmission via land lines such as telephone, or direct (without lines); different from satellite feed.
253. Thirty: A 30-second radio or TV commercial, written as :30.
255. Thread: 1 A delivery mechanism used by an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Forms of threads include phone lines, installed fiber optics, copper wiring and coaxial cable. 2 Pertaining to an online chat: an ongoing message-based conversation on a single subject.
257. Ticker (news): A news ticker (sometimes called a "crawler", "crawl" or "slide") is a primarily horizontal, text-based display either in the form of a graphic that typically resides in the lower third of the screen space on a television station or network (usually during news programming) or as a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the facades of some offices or public buildings dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news.
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259. TRP: Television rating point (TRP) for calculation purposes is a device attached to the TV set in a few thousand viewers,houses for judging purposes. These numbers are treated as a sample from the overall TV owners in different geographical and demographic sectors.
261. TST: Total Story Time; in broadcasting, the time in minutes and seconds of a "story" or report, from the start by the announcer or newscaster to the end, including any tape or other material within it. TRT, Total Running Time, refers to the time of the taped portion of the TST.
263. TTSL: Total Time Spent Listening. In radio, the TTSL is the number of quarter-hours of listening to a radio station by the population group being measured, such as the market or listening area. The TTSL divided by the cumulative audience equals the Time Spent Listening (TSL).
265. VO/SOT: A voice-over combined with sound-on-tape; a studio voice, such as a newscaster's, over a taped segment with a soundbite, a common format in TV news; pronounced VOH-SOT. Two successive sequences are indicated in a TV script as VO/SOT/VO; three successive sequences are indicated as VO/SOT/VO/SOT/VO.
267. Voicer: An on-the-spot report of an event by a radio or TV reporter, sometimes read by a reporter who is not necessarily at the news scene.
269. Voice-over (VO): The sound of an unseen narrator on a TV program or film; a reading by a TV announcer while a videotape is shown. Voice-over credits (V.O.C.) are audio identifications of sponsors, cast, or other credits, such as at the beginning or end of a TV program. The TV voice-over story, in which a newscaster reports while a tape is shown, is very common.
271. White-balance: The process of shooting a white card with a video camera and pressing a button (labeled White Balance) to activate the camera circuit that adjusts the internal setting of the blacklevel, white level, and the three colors (red, green, and blue) to the white card.
273. White clipping: A video control circuit that regulates, or clips, the top level, or white level, of the picture signal so that it does not appear on the transmitted picture.
275. Wide shot: A wide area of a scene, often used to "establish" a scene.