The Rundown Is Everything

In news production, the rundown is your single source of truth. It tells everyone — anchors, producers, directors, graphics operators — what's happening and when.

A messy rundown creates confusion. A clean rundown creates confidence.

Anatomy of an Effective Rundown

Essential Elements

Every rundown entry should include:

Story Slug
A short, clear identifier. "MAYOR-BUDGET" not "That story about the city budget thing."

Estimated Time
How long the segment should run. Be realistic — padding times leads to timing disasters.

Status
Is it ready? Still being edited? Waiting on a live shot? Everyone needs to know at a glance.

Assignments
Who's presenting? Who wrote it? Who's responsible if something's missing?

Technical Notes
Graphics needed, video cues, live shot information — anything the control room needs to know.

Organization Principles

Front-Load Important Stories
Your best content should come early when viewership is highest.

Create Logical Flow
Group related stories. Don't jump randomly between topics.

Build in Flexibility
Breaking news happens. Your rundown structure should accommodate changes without requiring a complete rebuild.

Time Buffer
Include "flex" segments that can expand or contract based on how the show is running.

Common Rundown Problems

The Black Hole

Stories go into the rundown but information never gets updated. By airtime, the rundown is fiction.

Fix: Make updates easy and require them. A rundown should reflect current reality, not yesterday's plan.

The Telephone Game

Different people looking at different versions. The anchor has one rundown, the director has another.

Fix: Single source of truth with real-time sync. Everyone looks at the same document.

The Last-Minute Scramble

Everything comes together in the final hour before air. Stress is high, mistakes are common.

Fix: Earlier deadlines, visual progress tracking, and accountability for prep milestones.

The Rigid Plan

The rundown is treated as unchangeable. When news breaks, the show can't adapt.

Fix: Build flexibility into the structure. Train the team on common adjustment patterns.

Building Your Rundown System

Start With a Template

Create a standard structure for your show type:

Morning News Template:
- A-Block: Top stories (hard news)
- B-Block: Local/community
- C-Block: Weather/traffic integration
- D-Block: Lifestyle/features
- Kicker

Talk Show Template:
- Cold open / hook
- Topic 1: Main discussion
- Topic 2: Secondary discussion
- Viewer interaction segment
- Close

Templates provide consistency while allowing flexibility in content.

Define Status Stages

Create clear, universally understood statuses:

Pitched — Suggested but not approved
Assigned — Someone's working on it
In Progress — Actively being produced
Ready for Review — Complete, needs approval
Approved — Ready for air
On Deck — Next up in show
Aired — Done

Establish Deadlines

Work backwards from airtime:

T-4 hours: Story assignments finalized
T-2 hours: All scripts in review
T-1 hour: Final rundown approved
T-30 min: All elements confirmed ready

Adjust based on your show's complexity and team size.

Create Communication Protocols

Define how changes are communicated:

Major changes: Verbal announcement + rundown update
Minor changes: Rundown update + alert
Breaking news: Defined escalation process

The Cultural Element

Tools and processes matter, but culture matters more. A rundown system works when:

Everyone understands why it matters
Updates are expected, not optional
Problems are caught early, not at airtime
The rundown is trusted as accurate

Build habits, not just systems.

Organize your rundown with OnAirFlow's production-focused workflow. Start your free trial.

From Chaos to Control: Organizing Your News Rundown