UPDATE: NBC affiliates have started to post notices in their public inspection files of the free airtime provided to Kamala Harris for her cameo on Saturday Night Live.
Network affiliates including those New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. filed notice that Harris “appeared without charge” on SNL for 1 minute, 30 seconds on Saturday.
An FCC commissioner, Brendan Carr, accused SNL of a “clear and blatant effort” to evade the FCC’s Equal Time Rule, which requires that broadcasters offer comparable time to opposing candidates. Carr noted that Harris’ appearance came just days before the election. Carr wrote on X, “What comparable time and placement can they offer all other qualifying candidates?”
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A network source said NBC will comply with all regulatory obligations.
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The network’s Washington, D.C. affiliate, WRC-TV, also noted that Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who is running for reelection, appeared for one minute and 55 seconds. Kaine appeared in a skit later in the show, focusing on how people do not recognize him even though he was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2016.
The FCC rules do not require that a network seek out opposing campaigns to offer the time. The rival candidates have to request it. A Trump campaign spokesperson did not return a request for comment.
It’s also not unprecedented for the show to feature a presidential nominee so close to an election. John McCain made a cameo on SNL the weekend before the 2008 campaign.
Stations do not have to give opposing candidates identical time, just comparable time. After Trump hosted SNL in 2015, some of his GOP primary rivals were given airtime not on the show, but in a similar time period on stations with upcoming primaries.
Reed Hundt, a former FCC chairman, wrote on X that Carr is “wrong” that SNL was engaged in an effort to evade the rule. “He’s clearly and blatantly trying to help the Trump campaign. That’s also wrong,” Hundt wrote.
Meanwhile, Hung Cao, Kaine’s GOP opponent, said in a statement that even though supporter were urging him to sue NBC, he disagreed. “I was barnstorming 12 towns and cities across Virginia yesterday talking about how much we’re going to secure our border and lower prices, while Tim was being a human punch-line in New York City.”
PREVIOUSLY: FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr claimed that Kamala Harris’ cameo on Saturday Night Live was a “clear and blatant effort” by the show to evade the FCC’s Equal Time Rule.
Carr wrote on X, “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election. Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.”
The rule requires that broadcasters who provide airtime to a candidate also offer comparable time to opposing candidates.
According to the FCC, equal opportunities “generally means providing comparable time and placement to opposing candidates; it does not require a station to provide opposing candidates with programs identical to the initiating candidate.” A station also is not required to seek out opposing candidates and offer them equal opportunities. In other words, time has to be requested.
What is not clear is whether other candidates have done so. A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request as to whether his campaign has or will make a request. A network source said NBC will comply with all regulatory obligations.
There is a substantial news exemption to the equal time rules, one that has included late night talk shows. But Saturday Night Live has not been exempt, and when Donald Trump hosted in 2015, the network gave time to some of his Republican primary rivals in markets with upcoming primaries.
In his X post, Carr argued that the show was trying to evade the requirements by having Harris on so close to the election. “Federal law requires that broadcasters provide comparable time and placement to all legally qualified candidates when the Equal Time rule is triggered,” he wrote. “With only days before the election, NBC appears to have structured this appearance in a way that evades these requirements. What comparable time and placement can they offer all other qualifying candidates?”
The show has featured candidates this close to the election in past cycles. In 2008, John McCain made a cameo just three days before the election.
Nice try NBC, it didn’t work tho. The American people are too smart for these kinds of B’s backdoor tricks. Shame on them. I hope they are punished appropriately.
Over the last few months, Trump has held many so-called news conferences at Mar-a-Lago and in the courthouse during his trial and even at his golf course in Pebble Beach. All of these were broadcasted in prime time at least briefly by the news on NBC, CBS and ABC. Where was the FCC outcry about Kamala Harris not getting equal time then?
She wouldn’t sit for an impromptu interview. She doesn’t know the answers to any questions…
I concur
Because the fascist billionaires who own our media love the tax cuts Trump gave them and so do the one percenters at the FCC.
Equal time for a candidate who’s supporters don’t watch SNL nor who would accept if asked. Trump can’t be seen laughing at himself or with liberals. If Kamala’s appearance on SNL is swaying the election at this late date then it was already lost.
Maybe people should look into the fox news network. They might also be running ads during there broadcast that only favor one candidate.
Maybe Carr should worry more about the equal time Google gives advertisers on YouTube, etc. For the last year 90% of all my ads are TikTok and Temu BOTH of which I never view nor have on my devices. IN ADDITION, maybe Carr should be more concerned about the sexual content in the TEMU ads that’s right in your face and children’s faces. Maybe Carr should be more worried about the Chinese social media platforms that are 90% of all the ads a company named “Whaleco” puts on Google. Maybe he should spend more time on telling them to fix their algorithm for ads on Google