Glossary
On-Air & Programming
Dead Air
An unintended silence on the broadcast when nothing is airing.
Dead air is silence where there should be sound — a gap caused by a missed cue, a technical fault, or a host caught unprepared. Even a few seconds reads as a mistake to the audience and can prompt tune-out.
Preparation and tight clocks exist in large part to prevent it. Prepared break content gives talent something to reach for when a segment ends early.