dead air
Definition
- Noun:
- An unintentional pause in a radio or television broadcast during which no sound is transmitted: "Dead air" refers specifically to a period of silence in a live or recorded broadcast when sound is expected but absent, typically due to technical error, human mistake, or a lapse in programming.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The radio host's microphone failed, resulting in thirty seconds of dead air.
- Producers fear dead air more than almost any other broadcasting mistake.
- After the commercial break, there was an awkward moment of dead air before the interview resumed.
Advanced Usage
- "to fill/cut dead air": to quickly add content (like music, commentary, or a station ID) to cover an unintended silence during a broadcast.
- The quick-thinking DJ played a song to fill the dead air.
- "dead air time": a period characterized by such a broadcast silence.
- The FCC received complaints about the excessive dead air time during the station's overnight programming.
Variants and Related Words
- Silence (n): The complete absence of sound. (Note: "Silence" is a general term, while "dead air" is a technical term specific to broadcasting.)
- Dead spot (n): An area with poor radio or cellular signal reception. (This is related in technical fields but has a different meaning.)
- Airtime (n): The time during which a broadcast is transmitted.
Synonyms
- Broadcast silence: A direct synonym emphasizing the context.
- Unplanned silence: Highlights the inadvertent nature.
- (On-air) gap: A more general term for an interruption.
Related Phrases
- To go silent: A phrase describing the action that results in dead air.
- The transmitter went silent for a full minute.
- Dead air check: A technical procedure to monitor for and prevent periods of silence.
- Engineers perform regular dead air checks on the equipment.
Related Idioms
- "The sound of silence": This common phrase poetically describes quietness but is not a technical idiom for "dead air." In a broadcasting context, "dead air" is itself the idiomatic technical term for an embarrassing and problematic silence.
Noun
-
an inadvertent interruption in a broadcast during which there is no sound
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