After fading to black, the AD will ___________ to end the show?

• A. End the show
• B. The final cue
• C. Sign-off
• D. Countdown

Answer: (D)

In a live broadcast, timing and coordination are all about a clear end plan. After fading to black, the assistant director uses a countdown to signal the remaining time and to wrap the show precisely. This gives everyone on the floor and in control rooms a exact moment to cut, roll to the next thing, or insert any last legal IDs, ensuring a clean, on-time finish even if the host has already stopped talking. The other ideas describe what happens in content or at the moment of ending, but the countdown is the procedural step that actually coordinates the final wrap.