airtime

or air time

[ air-tahym ]

noun

1. the particular time that a program is broadcast or scheduled for broadcast:

   The airtime for the newscast is 10 p.m.

2. the time during which a broadcast takes place:

   The airtime for the new show is from 10 to 10:30 p.m.

3. a block of such time sold by a radio or television station to an advertiser, allotted to a political candidate, etc.:

   The company bought three minutes of airtime.

airtime

/ ˈɛəˌtaɪm /

noun

1. the time allocated to a particular programme, item, topic, or type of material on radio or television
2. the time of the start of a radio or television broadcast

Word History and Origins

Origin of airtime¹

First recorded in 1940–45; air ¹ + time

Example Sentences

However, outside groups pay full freight for TV airtime, whereas TV stations are required to charge candidates their lowest rates.

From FiveThirtyEight

The network doesn’t give airtime to QAnon paranoiacs, at least that I’ve seen.

From Vox

It all moves incredibly fast, and often those proposals quickly dissolve in the months between filming and airtime.

From Washington Post

They don’t have airtime to make a call, getting a docket filled out sometimes takes a bribe, and you have to transport them everywhere.

From Ozy

Users have the option of making a once-off payment in full or in installments, using their airtime.

From Quartz

The outlets giving these pronouncements the most airtime are Arabic news stations in the Gulf.

From The Daily Beast

A production assistant knocks on the door to tell her she has a minute before airtime.

From The Daily Beast

Women need to know that their peers are pushing for them and cheering them on—recommending each other and demanding airtime.

From The Daily Beast

Correction: A previous version of this article cited an incorrect figure for amount of lost airtime.

From The Daily Beast

People like me have spent a lot of airtime and ink these past couple of weeks arguing over whether this can work.

From The Daily Beast