Off-the-air

Off-the-air is when the television or radio signal stops broadcasting. It's like when you turn off a light switch and the light stops shining. No more sound or picture comes out of the TV or radio when the signal is off. It can happen for many reasons, like when there's bad weather or the station needs to do some maintenance work on their equipment. Just like how you sometimes need to take a break from playing and rest, TV and radio signals sometimes need a break too.