dead air

Thân thiện

The radio host paused, and a moment of dead air filled the station.

Definition

1. 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.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an inadvertent interruption in a broadcast during which there is no sound