Broadcast Outcue Explainer
An outcue is the final three or four words heard in a recorded news package or other broadcast element. Those words are listed on the package slate and in production information so anchors, directors, and control-room staff know exactly when the item is ending. The cue is especially helpful when the last picture or sound does not make the ending obvious. It turns a spoken phrase into a precise operational signal.
During a newscast, the director follows the rundown while listening for the expected outcue. When those words arrive, the team can switch cameras, bring up the anchor’s microphone, roll the next graphic, or begin another element without an awkward pause. The anchor may also use the cue to know when to resume speaking. In a tightly timed program, a reliable outcue helps several people coordinate their actions even when they cannot see the entire edited timeline.
The outcue is normally taken from the completed version of a package, not guessed from an early script. An editor or producer checks the actual final audio, records the exact words, and notes whether the package ends with a reporter sign-off, an interview clip, natural sound, or silence. If the ending changes during editing, the production information must change too. The package’s total running time and identifying slug are usually checked at the same time.
Clear outcues matter most when multiple versions of a story are circulating. A morning package may end differently from an afternoon update, and a local insert may not match the network copy. Newsrooms label files carefully so the rundown points to the correct ending. If an outcue is wrong, the director could cut away too soon, leave dead air, or talk over the final words. Redundant timing displays and communication with producers provide additional safeguards.
The term can also be used more broadly in radio, live reports, and remote interviews to describe the agreed words that signal completion. It is different from an audio fade or a visual ending because it is based on language that staff can recognize. Viewers usually never notice the outcue, but its accuracy supports a smooth broadcast. Like many newsroom conventions, it converts a small detail into shared information that helps the entire production team work together.
It is usually the final three or four spoken words of a recorded element.
Newsrooms commonly place it on the package slate and in the rundown or related production notes.
The updated ending must be communicated so the anchor and control room do not switch too early or wait too long.
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