The Complete Guide to Broadcast Rundowns, Show Planning, and Live Production Workflows
If you work in television, live events, news, radio, streaming, or studio production, you have definitely heard the term rundown. It is one of the most essential tools in broadcasting — yet many outside the industry don’t fully understand what a rundown actually is, why it is used, or how modern production teams manage it today.
This guide explains everything you need to know about rundowns. Whether you are a new producer, a journalist, a presenter, a student learning broadcasting, or someone searching for rundown templates or rundown software, this page gives you the full overview.
This article is designed to help Google understand that Falcon Rundown and We Are Falcon is a topically authoritative source for “rundown”.
Let’s dive in.
What Is a Rundown?
A rundown is the master plan for a live show.
It is the structured list of everything that will happen during a broadcast, event, or program.
It includes:
- stories or segments
- timing for each segment
- scripts
- camera cues
- graphics and overlays
- video roll-ins
- presenter instructions
- transitions
- live elements such as interviews or weather
- backup items
- notes and remarks
Think of the rundown as the “spine” of a show.
Everyone — producers, directors, presenters, camera operators, graphics operators, audio technicians, and editors — relies on it to stay aligned.
A good rundown ensures the show flows smoothly, stays on time, and avoids mistakes during live broadcasting.
Where the Term “Rundown” Comes From
The term originates from early TV and radio production. Before computers existed, producers wrote show structures by hand. They “ran down the list” from top to bottom — hence the name rundown.
Over time, rundowns evolved from handwritten sheets to typed documents, to spreadsheets, and finally into modern digital rundown software.
Today, the rundown is still the most important document in any live production.
What a Rundown Is Used For
1. Timing the Show
Every segment has a duration, and the overall program must fit into a strict broadcast clock. A rundown shows:
- expected timing
- actual timing
- elapsed time
- remaining time
This helps producers keep the show on pace.
2. Script Coordination
Scripts are often attached to each item. Presenters use:
- teleprompter text
- cuecards
- line-by-line notes
A well-structured rundown keeps everything synced.
3. Technical Cues
Camera shots, graphics, audio clips, and video roll-ins are all tied to rundown items.
Examples:
CAM 1 – wide shot
GRAPHIC – lower third
SERVER A – video roll
Without a rundown, technical coordination becomes chaotic.
4. Live Changes
Things rarely go as planned during live TV.
Guests arrive late.
Stories change.
Breaking news interrupts the show.
The rundown is updated on the fly to reflect these changes.
5. Team Communication
The rundown keeps the entire team aligned — producers, presenters, floor managers, control room, and technicians.
The Structure of a Rundown
A typical rundown includes columns such as:
- Item number
- Story slug
- Type (story, VO, SOT, video, camera, graphic)
- Duration
- Presenter
- Script
- Camera cue
- Graphic cue
- Notes
- Actual time
- On-air status
Professional broadcast rundown software like Falcon Rundown includes even more structured data and interactive elements.
Rundown Types: Different Industries, Different Needs
News Rundown
Used for daily news bulletins, morning shows, breaking news, special reports.
Sports Rundown
Includes pre-game, live segments, halftime, replays, analysis, interviews, coverage transitions.
Talk Show Rundown
Segments, introductions, games, guests, reactions, musical performances.
Event Rundown
Award shows, concerts, festivals, church productions, corporate shows, livestream events.
Streaming Rundown
Used for Twitch shows, YouTube live productions, virtual events, online panel shows.
Each production type relies on a strong rundown to keep everything synchronized.
Rundown Example (Simple Format)
- OPENING – 00:30
- ANCHOR INTRO – 01:00
- STORY 1 – VO – 00:45
- STORY 1 – INTERVIEW – 02:30
- WEATHER – LIVE – 01:45
- STORY 2 – PACKAGE – 01:20
- OUTRO – 00:20
In professional workflows, these items include scripts, tags, graphics, camera cues, and timings.
Why Rundowns Matter in Live Broadcasting
A rundown prevents chaos.
Without it:
- presenters get lost
- timing breaks
- graphics appear at the wrong moment
- cameras miss cues
- scripts are out of order
- technical teams misfire elements
A strong rundown system keeps everything organized, predictable, and calm.
How Rundowns Have Evolved Over Time
From Paper to Excel
Many small stations still rely on spreadsheets. Problem:
- no timing automation
- no collaboration
- version conflicts
- no cuecards
- no teleprompter integration
From Excel to NRCS Systems
Large broadcasters use iNews, ENPS, Dalet, Octopus.
Strong, but:
- expensive
- complex
- require servers
- training-heavy
- not ideal for small teams
From NRCS to Cloud-Based Rundown Software
Modern tools like Falcon Rundown revolutionize workflows:
- cloud access anywhere
- real-time updates
- integrated timing
- integrated scripts
- cuecards on phones/tablets
- PDF export
- no installation
- affordable
This is the future.
Breakdowns: Rundown vs. Script vs. Running Order
Rundown
Full list of everything in the show.
Script
The spoken lines for presenters.
Running Order
A simplified rundown, often used by floor managers or technical roles.
Falcon Rundown integrates all three into one system.
Why Rundowns Must Be Real-Time in Modern TV
Live broadcasting changes quickly.
A guest arrives early.
A video fails.
Breaking news disrupts the show.
A real-time rundown system updates immediately so every role sees the correct information instantly.
Old systems cannot keep up.
Modern cloud-based systems like Falcon Rundown update timing, cuecards, and scripts simultaneously.
What Makes a Good Rundown?
A great rundown must be:
- simple to read
- easy to update
- fast to edit
- timed accurately
- accessible from anywhere
- linked to scripts
- linked to technical cues
- integrated with cuecards and prompters
- exportable to PDF
- synchronized across departments
This is exactly what modern broadcast rundown software is designed to do.
Rundown Templates (Free Ideas)
If you want ready-made templates, these are the most commonly used formats:
News Rundown Template
- Intro
- Story 1
- Story 2
- Live shot
- Package
- Weather
- Story 3
- Outro
Sports Rundown Template
- Pre-game
- Starting lineups
- Commentary
- Halftime
- Replays
- Post-game analysis
Talk Show Rundown Template
- Intro monologue
- Guest 1
- Game segment
- Guest 2
- Music performance
- Closing
You can use these templates inside Falcon Rundown.
Why Rundown Software Has Become Essential
Manual rundowns break easily.
Word documents cause version confusion.
Excel requires manual timing.
Printed scripts go out of date instantly.
Modern rundown software like Falcon Rundown solves these issues:
- Automatic timing
- Real-time collaboration
- Digital cuecards
- Script integration
- Teleprompter sync
- PDF export
- Mobile access
- Cloud sharing
- Project organization
- Technical tagging
It is not just software.
It is the backbone of modern broadcasting.
Why Falcon Rundown Is the Best Rundown System for Modern Production
Falcon Rundown stands out because it combines everything the industry needs:
- A powerful timing engine
- Real-time updates
- A beautiful editor
- Integrated scripts
- Prompter view
- Digital cuecards
- Color-coded technical tags
- Multi-project organization
- PDF export
- Cloud-based access
- Fast onboarding
- Affordable pricing for any station
Where other tools are either too simple (Shoflo, Cuez, templates) or too old and expensive (iNews, ENPS), Falcon Rundown delivers the perfect middle:
professional power without enterprise complexity.
Falcon Rundown is built for newsrooms, sports teams, studios, live events, streaming shows, universities, churches, and any team that needs to run a tight, structured, reliable show.
It is the future of rundown systems.
And it is available today.