to broadcast live on air
1
3.0
- phrasal verb
- /ˈbrɔːdˌkæst laɪv ɒn ɛr/
- Literature
- The president's speech was broadcast live on air across multiple national networks.
Examples
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The concert will be broadcast live on air so fans everywhere can listen as it happens.
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Major sporting events are often broadcast live on air to reach the widest possible audience.
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They will broadcast live on air tomorrow.
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The concert was broadcasted live on air last night.
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Major sporting events are often broadcast live on air to reach the widest possible audience.
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The concert will be broadcast live on air so fans everywhere can listen as it happens.
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The president's speech was broadcast live on air across multiple national networks.
Synonyms
292
3.0
To broadcast a program on radio or TV
238
2.1
To send a radio or television program to the public
115
3.7
To send a television or radio show to many people
93
3.8
To show a programme on television
19
3.7
To send out a radio or TV program so people can receive it
12
3.2
Show a program to many people on radio or television
3
3.7
To show live video or sound on the internet
2
3.9
To show a program on television for many people to watch
2
3.2
To send live video over the internet so people can watch as it happens
1
6.3
To send a television or radio program through cable to homes
How Live
- Literature
1
3.0
2
4.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'broadcast' = transmit, 'live' = happening in real time, and 'on air' = being transmitted; together they straightforwardly yield 'transmit in real time to the public'. This combination follows common verb + particle/prepositional patterns found across languages and is predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Broadcast live on air comes from simple images: broadcast once meant throwing seeds over a field, on air means sending sound or pictures through the air, and live means 'in real time'. So the phrase means to send a program to many people 'as it happens'.