What is the practice of rehearsing the final segment of a news broadcast and timing it to finish on schedule?

• A. Back Timing
• B. Wrap Timing
• C. Time Cueing
• D. Run Timing

Answer: (A)

Back timing is the practice of rehearsing the ending of a news broadcast and timing it to finish exactly on schedule. In this approach, the final minutes are run in real time, with careful attention to when the last line lands, when the closing video or graphics should play, and when the sign-off happens, so the entire show ends at the exact clock time. This method is crucial because a newscast often has a fixed end time for scheduling, commercial breaks, and transitions to the next program, so practicing from the end backward helps prevent overruns or underruns. Other terms touch on related ideas—wrap timing focuses on the closing portion, time cueing on the cues that trigger timing events, and run timing on the overall pace—yet back timing specifically targets finishing on time by rehearsing and coordinating the final seconds.