airtime

nounC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,256 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: airtimes

Airtime is the minutes a subject is given on radio or television. Equal airtime, plenty of airtime, buy airtime.

It is counted seriously in election coverage, where broadcasters in many countries must balance it between parties. Buying airtime is buying advertising slots. In skateboarding and motocross, airtime is the seconds spent off the ground. Note that the air here means broadcasting, as in on air.

Definitions of airtime

1nounairtimeThe minutes a subject is given on radio or television.C1
“The small parties complained that they got very little airtime during the election.”

airtime is broadcast time.

Where it comes from

Air plus time, where air means broadcasting, as in on air and airwaves.

From air + time.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in News & Communication

Practise this word

airtime in the wild

The Media Act 2008 regulates the division of airtime and assigns the NPO board of directors responsibility for administering the public broadcasting system.
Dutch public broadcasting system
However, due to low ratings the program's airtime was reduced substantially.
Jam!
YFM devotes 80% of airtime to music, but the rest goes to talk radio.
YFM
With roller coasters, airtime is usually achieved when the train travels over a hill at high speeds.
Airtime (rides)
There are different types of airtime, including floater (which is slower and sustained) and ejector (which is sudden and strong).
Airtime (rides)

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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