What role does a video switcher play during a live event?

A video switcher is a critical component in live broadcasting, as it directly influences what the audience sees during the event. Its primary function is to select which video source to broadcast live, allowing operators to switch between different cameras, graphics, and other video feeds. This flexibility is essential during a live event, where different angles and sources might be necessary to capture the action and keep the broadcast engaging for viewers.

While determining camera angles can be a part of the production planning, the actual switching is done by the video switcher based on the director's instructions. The switcher does not control studio lighting, nor does it edit footage in the traditional sense; rather, it provides a live feed that might include dissolves, wipes, or cuts between sources but does not perform non-linear editing. Thus, the correct answer reflects the fundamental role of the video switcher in managing and delivering real-time video content to the audience during live events.