To Be Announced
From Iwe
To be announced, To be confirmed, and To be determined (often abbreviated as TBA, TBC, and TBD, respectively) are placeholder terms used very broadly to indicate that although something is scheduled or anticipated to happen, a particular aspect of that thing remains to be arranged. Although the phrases are often used interchangeably, "to be announced" is subtly different from "to be determined" in that the aspect so designated may have already been determined, but is not yet suitable for public announcement. "To be confirmed" also conveys a subtly different sense, suggesting that a decision has been made but awaits confirmation, although it is also used to indicate that the aspect to be scheduled remains open. Other similar phrases sometimes used to convey the same meaning, and using the same abbreviations, include To be ascertained, To be arranged, To be advised, To be adjudicated, and To be decided.
Use of the abbreviation "TBA" is formally reported in a reference work at least as early as 1955,
[edit] Examples
These various placeholder terms are often used to indicate to the public that a vacant position in a lineup of speakers, musicians, or other performers remains to be filled. The terms also frequently indicate that a creative work, such as an album or film, is forthcoming but that the date of release is not yet known. If the forthcoming project is not yet named, these placeholders may be used to indicate that the name has not yet been selected, although the project may also be designated as "untitled" pending that determination. The terms are also used in sports schedules, particularly where one team has locked in a position in a playoff schedule, but its opponent can not yet be determined because several teams may qualify for the spot depending on their remaining wins or losses for the season, or because other teams have not yet competed in playoff games that will determine who will face the locked-in team. In government and business, the terms may be used to indicate that a vacant job position is expected to be filled, or conversely that a particular individual will be employed in an as-yet-uncreated position.
"TBA" (meaning "to be announced") is also used to describe a specific type of simple mortgage investment, the forward mortgage-backed security. This is used to indicate that the investor is acquiring some portion of a pending pool of as-yet unspecified mortgages, which will be specified at a given delivery date. This usage has existed at least since the 1980s.
