Glossary

TV language is like a foreign language sometimes. I want to be able to write about some of the aspects of working here but want you to understand them too. Here's a glossary for some of the terms I use here and on the job:

SOT - Sound on tape, soundbite, sound, bite; Adds color, flavor, accent, emotion to a story.

VO - Voice over; When the anchor or reporter reads a script live while video plays over the voice.

VOSOT - A voice over followed by a soundbite; Typically 45-60 seconds.

Package - A pre-produced segment of video; usually dives into emotional or humanistic side of story more than the VO.

Front - Reporter is live to introduce their package; usually happens at the 5 and the 6.

Rundown - The schedule for a specific show; broken down into segments and number (ie: A1 Anchor leads, A2 Toss to reporter live, A3 Reporter fronts story, A4 Package)

Producer - The person who writes the show; will create the rundown, write scripts, edit scripts, work with the anchors.

Assignment Editor - Looks for story ideas and contacts; will prepare for the 10am meeting and generate up to two dozen story ideas for each day.

News Director - Oversees the News Department; sets tone and philosophy for reporting news and presentation.