NBC complies with ‘equal time’ rule for Trump following Harris ‘SNL’ cameo

[Saturday Night Live]

“It’s nice to see you, Kamala.”

“It is nice to see you, Kamala.

“And I’m just here to remind you, you got this because you can do something your opponent cannot do. You can open doors.”

[Craig Nigrelli]

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE OVER THE WEEKEND FEATURED A SKIT WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT.

NOW – NBC IS WORKING TO CLEAR UP A COMPLAINT FROM THE F-C-C OVER ‘EQUAL TIME’ 

BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IT – AND HOW IS IT ENFORCED? 

THE BRIEF APPEARANCE OF KAMALA HARRIS IN A SKIT WITH COMEDIAN MAYA RUDOLPH OVER THE WEEKEND SPARKED SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT FAIRNESS ON BROADCAST TELEVISION.

NBC FILED A NOTICE WITH THE FCC THE DAY AFTER HARRIS’S APPEARANCE, ENSURING THAT THEY OFFER FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP EQUAL TIME UNDER THE FCC’S RULES. TRUMP’S AIRTIME CAME SUNDAY, IN A BROADCAST DURING THE NASCAR CUP PLAYOFFS, ALLOWING HIM A CHANCE TO REACH VIEWERS DIRECTLY.

THIS FILING CAME AFTER FCC COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR CALLED HARRIS’S APPEARANCE A “CLEAR AND BLATANT EFFORT TO EVADE” THE FCC’S EQUAL TIME RULE… LATER ADDING THAT THE FCC SHOULD TAKE ACTION IF THIS INCIDENT IS FOUND TO VIOLATE THE RULE.

THE EQUAL TIME RULE DATES BACK TO THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934, DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT BROADCAST STATIONS PROVIDE BALANCED AIRTIME TO ALL QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. THIS RULE APPLIES SPECIFICALLY TO AMERICAN BROADCAST NETWORKS LIKE NBC, ABC AND CBS BUT NOT TO CABLE CHANNELS, PODCASTS, OR SOCIAL MEDIA.

WHILE THE RULE ALLOWS SOME EXCEPTIONS, SUCH AS COVERAGE IN NEWS PROGRAMS OR INTERVIEWS, IT STILL HOLDS FOR APPEARANCES IN ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS THAT CAN REACH MILLIONS, LIKE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

BUT DOES THIS RULE STILL CARRY WEIGHT? IN TODAY’S DIGITAL AGE, MANY VIEWERS GET THEIR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT FROM CABLE, SOCIAL MEDIA, OR STREAMING PLATFORMS…CHANNELS OUTSIDE FCC REGULATION. IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE ALONE WE’VE SEEN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN NEW MEDIA APPEARANCES FROM BOTH CANDIDATES ON PODCASTS AND STREAMS. THIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RULE’S EFFECTIVENESS AND WHETHER IT REMAINS RELEVANT IN A MEDIA LANDSCAPE WHERE TRADITIONAL BROADCASTING IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.

IN SEPTEMBER, SNL EXECUTIVE PRODUCER LORNE MICHAELS STATED THAT THEY WOULDN’T HAVE EITHER CANDIDATE ON THE SHOW… CITING THESE EXACT FCC RULES.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.