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#redirect [[broadcast delay]]
{{Censorship}}
:''There is also a [[WFMU]] radio program called ''[[Seven Second Delay]].
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In [[radio]] and [[television]], '''tape delay''' refers to the practice of intentionally delaying [[broadcasting|broadcast]] of [[broadcasting#recorded or live|live]] material. A short delay is often used to prevent [[profanity]] or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical [[malfunction]]s or [[cough]]ing. In this instance, it is often referred to as a '''seven-second delay''' or '''profanity delay'''.
Longer delays can also be introduced, as is sometimes done with nationally-broadcast programs in countries with multiple [[time zone]]s. That can sometimes be simply achieved with a [[video tape recorder]] or similar technology. In the context of modern [[digital video recorder]]s, this can now be considered a class of [[time shifting]]. In this instance, it is often called a '''West Coast delay''' in the [[United States]], so-called because special events (including award shows) broadcast live in the rest of the US are often tape-delayed on the West Coast. This includes Southern California (with the exception of the Academy Awards, which airs live in L.A.), even though this is where many such events actually take place.
Tape delay also refers to the process of broadcasting an event at a later scheduled time. This is because either a scheduling conflict prevents a live telecast, or a broadcaster seeks to maximize ratings by airing an event in a certain timeslot. A prominent example of the latter is coverage of the [[Olympic Games]], when a broadcaster televises a high-profile event to air in [[prime time]], even though that event occurs several hours earlier when most of the would-be viewers are at work.
==Early use==
The Radio station WKAP, Allentown, Pennsylvania, introduced a tape delay system consisting of an external playback head which was spaced far enough away from the record head to allow for a 5 second delay. A system of rollers guided the tape over the playback head before it wound up on the take up reel. This system was introduced in 1952 when WKAP started a talk show called "Open Mic". It is believed that this was the first time a telephone call-in show was broadcast with the telephone conversation "live" on the air. FCC rules prohibited the broadcasting of a live phone conversation. However, there was no rule prohibiting a taped playback of a phone call, provided that a "beep" tone was heard by the caller every 15 seconds so that the caller knew he was being recorded. The 5 second delay constituted a "taped" phone conversation thus complying with FCC regulations.
[[John Nebel]], who began a pioneering radio [[talk show]] in New York City in 1954, was one of the early users of a tape delay system.
==Computerized delay==
In 1977, the capacity of RAM (Random Access Memory) had reached 16KBits per chip, enough to think about using computerized, digital means to create a sufficient delay for obscenity deletion. By storing audio digitally, it was possible to move a "virtual tape head" along recorded audio. Eventide Inc. created the first digital broadcast delay for this purpose. It had a large "DUMP" button that would bring the delay to zero, thus removing the segment with the obscenity. In addition to this convenience, it would also "rebuild" the delay time by unnoticeably lengthening the normal pauses in spoken material. Thus, a minute or so later, the broadcaster would again have full delay, with the listener often unaware that material had been deleted.
In modern systems, a profanity delay can be a software module manually operated by a broadcast technician that puts a short delay (usually between five and ten seconds) into the broadcast of live content. This gives the broadcaster time to [[censorship|censor]] the audio (and video) feed. This can be accomplished by cutting directly to a non-delayed feed, essentially jumping past the undesired moment (something which can be quite jarring to a viewer or listener). In other cases, dedicated hardware units similar to the original digital unit but with improved quality and editing capability can be used. These products can even "build up" delay with difficult program material such as music. Alternately, a [[bleep censor|silence or bleep noise]] can be inserted to "cover up" the audio. This is more difficult to do with live content, however, and more often appears on recorded material.
==Examples==
===Canada===
*In [[2006 in television|2006]], [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] imposed a 7-second broadcast delay on commentator [[Don Cherry (ice hockey)|Don Cherry]]'s ''[[Coach's Corner]]'' program. This delay was lifted after the [[regular season]] during which it was imposed.
===United Kingdom===
*Since [[2001 in television|2001]], ''[[Big Brother (UK)|Big Brother]]'' and ''[[Big Brother (UK)#Celebrity Big Brother|Celebrity Big Brother]]'' have been broadcast 24 hours a day on [[E4 (TV)|E4]], with a 15- to 30-minute delay. Unsuitable material ([[swear word|swearing]], [[nudity]], [[libel|potentially-libelous]] conversation) is cut out, or replaced by pre-recorded noise (traffic, [[bird song|birdsong]] etc) from outside.
*When [[BBC One]] broadcast the [[60th British Academy Film Awards|60th BAFTA Film Awards]], hosted by [[Jonathan Ross]], on [[2007#February|February 11, 2007]], it was announced that the live coverage of the ceremony would contain a "short time delay"<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2255689.ece The Independent: "And the winner is..."] Retrieved February 13, 2007</ref>.
*The [[2007 BRIT Awards]] hosted (broadcast by [[ITV1]] on February 14, 2007 from 8pm-10pm) were supposedly the first [[BRIT Awards|Brits ceremony]] in 18 years to be broadcast live. However, it became apparent that the show was on a delay of a few seconds, and the final musical performance by [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] was marred by 5-second silences whenever [[Liam Gallagher]] swore during songs.
===United States===
*While live censorship of [[audio]] was an issue for decades, [[Wiktionary:visual|video]]-censoring became an issue following the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|highly-publicized incident]] involving [[Janet Jackson]] and [[Justin Timberlake]] during the live broadcast of [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], in which Jackson's bare [[breast]] was revealed.
*In an effort to avoid a repeat, [[CBS]] decided to use tape-delay for the [[2004]] [[Grammy Award]]s. In [[February 2004]], [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] announced it would impose a video and audio delay on the [[77th Academy Awards|2004 Academy Awards (Oscars)]], to safeguard viewers from any obscenities. The [[78th Academy Awards|2006 Academy Awards]] also implemented a tape delay, and the live performance of "[[It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp]]" was edited near the beginning of the song.
==See also==
*[[Bleep censor]]
*[[Federal Communications Commission]]
*[[Radio edit]]
*[[Music censorship]]
==External links==
* [http://us.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/03/grammys.tape.delay/index.html CNN.com: CBS to use 'enhanced' tape-delay for Grammys]
* [http://us.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/05/sprj.aa04.abc.oscar.delay/ CNN.com: ABC to impose delay on Oscar telecast]
===References===
<references />
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[[Category:Broadcast engineering]]
[[Category:Censorship of broadcasting]]
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