# What happened to the seconds of lag time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-seconds-of-lag-time/327829 "2005-10-25T16:41:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-seconds-of-lag-time/327829/1 "2005-10-25T16:41:44Z")
I’m talking about live interviews with reporters, etc., in Iraq by newscasters here in the states. it used to be there was a 5-7 second gap while we waited for the interviewer’s question to reach the reporter, and a similar interval for the reply to reach us. Now that time lag seems to have disappeared.\* Are the networks doing some quiet editing? \*Or I’m not being very observant. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-seconds-of-lag-time/327829/2 "2005-10-25T17:03:23Z")
> [@E = mc²](#): > > I’m talking about live interviews with reporters, etc., in Iraq by newscasters here in the states. > > it used to be there was a 5-7 second gap while we waited for the interviewer’s question to reach the reporter, and a similar interval for the reply to reach us. > > Now that time lag seems to have disappeared.\* Are the networks doing some quiet editing? > > \*Or I’m not being very observant. If a signal is bounced off of a geosynchronous satellite (orbiting about 22,250 miles above the surface of the Earth), there will be a lightspeed delay of about 0.25 seconds each way. Throw in some processing time, and a delay for the person at the other end to process the question, and you end up with a 1-2 second delay from the time the news anchor asks a question to the receipt of an answer. From my read of a National Geographic article a few months ago, though, its my understanding that transoceanic fiber optic lines are being used in a lot of cases instead of satellites. This would eliminate much of the delay. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-seconds-of-lag-time/327829/3 "2005-10-25T17:06:57Z")
> [@robby](#): > > If a signal is bounced off of a geosynchronous satellite (orbiting about 22,250 miles above the surface of the Earth), there will be a lightspeed delay of about 0.25 seconds each way. Throw in some processing time, and a delay for the person at the other end to process the question, and you end up with a 1-2 second delay from the time the news anchor asks a question to the receipt of an answer. > > From my read of a National Geographic article a few months ago, though, its my understanding that transoceanic fiber optic lines are being used in a lot of cases instead of satellites. This would eliminate much of the delay. Thank you, Robby, and I think your explanation is on the money. (But when the Iraq war broke out, it seemed the lag was more than 1-2 seconds. But that’s in the past and not important.) ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-seconds-of-lag-time/327829/4 "2005-10-25T17:30:00Z")
> [@E = mc²](#): > > Thank you, Robby, and I think your explanation is on the money. (But when the Iraq war broke out, it seemed the lag was more than 1-2 seconds. But that’s in the past and not important.) If the anchor desk and the correspondent in Iraq don’t both have line-of-sight access to the same satellite, then the signal must make 2 or even 3 round trips to space and back. That explains some of the longer delays.