airtime

American  

[air-tahym] / ˈɛərˌtaɪm /

Or air time

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.

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airtime British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of airtime

First recorded in 1940–45; air ¹ + time

Example Sentences

He declined to reveal how much he paid for that airtime.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Henry Slade's booming kick into the corner in the 2017 Premiership semi-final got plenty of airtime in the build-up to the latest instalment of Saracens and Exeter's rivalry.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

The think tanks and analysts who shaped that discourse were wrong about nearly everything and were rewarded with more airtime.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

“In light of the success of the incretins in weight loss, they don’t get a ton of airtime publicly.”

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

But I can see on the screen that we are getting way more than our share of airtime.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins