Cue

A “Cue” may be visual or aural. In television it is usual for somebody in the studio to be given a visual cue to begin by a wave from the Floor Manager, and also sometimes to conclude by “winding up” gestures (which become more frantic as time runs out!). In radio a cue light is usual. Cue lights are always green, and may be desk- or floor-mounted, and are illuminated by the operator (or sometimes by the producer) in the control cubicle.

Cue Programme is an aural cue which enables a contributor to join a programme at the appropriate time. In a studio centre it will usually be a feed to the contributor’s headphones from a monitoring circuit. On an Outside Broadcast it may be derived from a line feed from the studio centre or from an off-air receiver.

The term is also used (confusingly) in US parlance to mean operating a Boom pole – most specifically the twisting and dodging movements required to pick up dialogue.