1
: the time or any part of the time when a radio or television station is on the air
2
: the time at which a radio or television broadcast is scheduled to begin
Examples of airtime in a Sentence
The committee plans to buy radio airtime for the campaign ads.
Recent Examples on the Web
News programs are not bound by the rule that demands that networks give equal airtime to viable political candidates during the lead-up to an election.
—
William Earl, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
The rule, part of the Communications Act of 1934, calls for broadcast (non-cable) networks that feature political candidates to offer comparable airtime to their rivals.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The rule states that if one candidate for public office gets free airtime on a local TV or radio station, the other candidates for that office have a right to airtime, too.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Fox News reported earlier this month that The View was under investigation for potential violation of the Equal Time Rule, which requires broadcasters who feature candidates to provide airtime to rivals if requested.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airtime
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William Earl, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
The rule, part of the Communications Act of 1934, calls for broadcast (non-cable) networks that feature political candidates to offer comparable airtime to their rivals.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The rule states that if one candidate for public office gets free airtime on a local TV or radio station, the other candidates for that office have a right to airtime, too.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Fox News reported earlier this month that The View was under investigation for potential violation of the Equal Time Rule, which requires broadcasters who feature candidates to provide airtime to rivals if requested.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airtime
Cite this Entry
“Airtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airtime. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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