(DailyVantage.com) – NBC News filed an Equal Time notice with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) late Sunday, following backlash for Vice President Kamala Harris’s guest appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL). The appearance, broadcast just days before Election Day, raised questions over the network’s compliance with the Equal Time rule, which requires broadcasters to offer comparable airtime to all qualified candidates.
The notice, submitted by NBC, disclosed that Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, appeared on SNL for 1 minute and 30 seconds on November 2, 2024, without charge. Under federal law, the filing now enables competing candidates, including former President Donald Trump, to request equal airtime within a week of the episode. NBC would be required to provide this airtime, if requested.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a senior Republican at the agency, criticized NBC’s decision to air Harris’s appearance, especially so close to Election Day. Carr noted that broadcasters have a “special position of trust” under their federal licenses, which require them to operate in the public interest. He added that SNL’s decision to host Harris without providing Trump or other candidates an equal opportunity is precisely what the Equal Time rule was designed to prevent.
Carr further highlighted that the FCC’s Equal Time rule, established in 1934, has long required broadcast stations to grant equivalent airtime to all qualified political candidates, with exceptions made only for newscasts, documentaries, and political debates.
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News that SNL did not offer the former president an invitation to appear on the show. The Trump campaign accused Harris of attempting to boost her visibility through a last-minute TV appearance as her campaign faces challenges in key battlegrounds.
In addition to Harris’s appearance, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who is seeking re-election, made a cameo in an SNL sketch as a game show contestant struggling to recall his own identity. NBC also submitted an Equal Time filing for Kaine’s appearance, according to Carr.
NBC’s decision comes amid heightened scrutiny over broadcast media’s role in elections, especially with regard to fair representation. As of Sunday, NBC News had not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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