To backtime a TV rundown is to work backwards from a fixed programme end or a required start point. It helps a producer determine when each story must begin and whether the planned content fits the available slot. Used alongside forward timing, backtiming turns a list of durations into a practical live-production clock.
This guide explains the calculation, shows a worked example and outlines how to manage timing when a live show changes.
Forward timing and backtiming
Forward timing begins at the programme start and adds each story duration. If a show starts at 18:30:00 and the first line lasts 90 seconds, the next line begins at 18:31:30.
Backtiming begins with a fixed point and subtracts durations. If the programme must end at 19:00:00 and the closing segment lasts two minutes, that segment must begin at 18:58:00.
Both methods should arrive at compatible times. If they do not, the rundown contains too much content, too little content or an unaccounted transition.
The basic backtiming formula
The calculation is:
Required start time = fixed end time − remaining segment durations
For a block ending at 18:30:00:
| Story | Duration | Backtimed start |
|---|---|---|
| Close | 00:00:30 | 18:29:30 |
| Weather | 00:02:00 | 18:27:30 |
| Sports headlines | 00:01:30 | 18:26:00 |
| Final news story | 00:03:00 | 18:23:00 |
If the final news story cannot begin by 18:23:00, the block will run late unless something is shortened or removed.
How to backtime a full rundown
1. Confirm the hard times
Mark times that cannot move: transmission start, commercial breaks, network joins, satellite windows, fixed live hits and programme end. These divide the rundown into timing blocks.
2. Give every line a realistic total duration
Include more than spoken text. Add introductions, video playback, questions, answers, transitions, applause, stings and presenter moves where relevant. A 20-second script may belong to a three-minute live interview.
3. Calculate forwards from the block start
Add durations in order to find the planned start time of each story and the projected block end.
4. Calculate backwards from the fixed end
Subtract the same durations in reverse order. The resulting backtimed starts show when the final stories must begin.
5. Compare the two timelines
If forward timing reaches the hard point later than backtiming allows, the block is over. If it reaches the hard point early, the block has spare time. Record the difference clearly as over/under.
6. Decide where flexibility lives
Identify stories that can be shortened, extended, dropped or moved. Do this before the show so the director and presenter know the operational choices.
Manual time, text time and total time
Separating timing components makes the calculation more useful:
- Manual time covers planned non-script activity such as interviews, video or demonstrations.
- Text time estimates the duration of written presenter copy.
- Total time combines the relevant components for the story.
A reading-time estimate is only a planning aid. Presenter pace, pauses, live answers and technical transitions still need rehearsal and producer judgement.
Managing the clock during a live show
Once the show starts, planned timing becomes a live comparison. The team needs to see:
- Time spent on the current story
- Time remaining in the current story
- Whether the full rundown is over or under
- The estimated finish time
- The next fixed time or hard break
If an interview runs 45 seconds long, the system should make the effect visible downstream. The producer can then shorten another story, drop an optional line or adjust the close.
What to do when the rundown changes
A story runs long
Check the cumulative overrun, then use a pre-agreed flexible story or shorten a later segment. Avoid making several uncoordinated cuts that leave the presenter and gallery with different expectations.
A live hit is delayed
Move a self-contained story before the live hit if editorial logic allows. Keep all script, cue and asset data attached when reordering.
A story is dropped
Remove its full duration and immediately verify the new start time for the stories around the next hard point.
A commercial break is fixed
Backtime the content directly before the break. That block should have an identified cut or stretch option so the transmission can meet the break cleanly.
Common backtiming mistakes
- Timing only the script and forgetting video, pauses or transitions
- Using inconsistent time formats
- Leaving zero time between operationally separate segments
- Changing a duration without recalculating later starts
- Keeping the “real” timing in a private spreadsheet
- Failing to identify which stories can be cut or extended
Backtiming with Falcon Rundown
Falcon Rundown places story timing inside the shared running order. Its timing workflow can show elapsed, remaining and pacing information for stories as well as programme-level progress. Scripts, manual timing, production items and live order remain connected, so a producer can evaluate a change in context.
Build the initial structure with the broadcast rundown template. If you are comparing tools, see run-of-show versus broadcast rundown software and the TV production planning software buyer’s guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does backtimed mean in TV?
It means a required start time has been calculated backwards from a fixed end, break or transmission point.
Should every story be backtimed?
Every story contributes to the calculation, but teams often focus operational attention on the stories leading into hard breaks, fixed live hits and the programme end.
How often should the rundown be recalculated?
Whenever order or duration changes. During a live show, the calculation should reflect actual progress so the producer can make decisions before the programme misses a hard time.
See live timing in a shared production workflow with Falcon Rundown or book a demo.