NBC files Equal Time notice for Harris' SNL cameo following criticism.
The Equal Time rule mandates that NBC must give political candidates who are running against each other the same amount of airtime.
The Federal Communications Commission received an Equal Time notice from NBC News on Sunday evening, revealing that Kamala Harris had appeared on "Saturday Night Live" in violation of the established rule.
On November 2, 2024, Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president in the 2024 national election, was featured on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) for a total of 1 minute and 30 seconds without any charges.
Under federal law, NBC would be obligated to grant other qualified candidates competing against Harris equal airtime for up to a week if the filing were made under normal circumstances.
The FCC commissioner criticized NBC for hosting Kamala Harris on SNL without offering equal time to other candidates, including former President Trump.
NBC and SNL appeared to show leadership in favor of one candidate before the election, prompting the need for an equal time rule to prevent such actions. Broadcasters are trusted with a special position and have a license from the federal government that obligates them to operate in the public interest, as FCC commissioner Carr stated in a Zoom interview with Planet Chronicle Digital on Sunday morning.
The NBC filing on Sunday confirms that the network considers the Harris SNL appearance a free use of their facilities and airwaves under the federal Equal Time rule, as per Carr's statement to Planet Chronicle Digital. However, the limited timeframe available to Trump and others to take up the network's offer is highlighted.
In Equal Time cases, a seven-day period is usually granted to all qualified candidates to seek Equal Time on a comparable program. However, opposing candidates do not have this option here, as stated by Carr.
The FCC commissioner stated over the weekend that the broadcasting company had breached the FCC's equal time rule by inviting the Democratic presidential nominee but not Trump or other candidates such as Jill Stein or Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is still on the ballots despite dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump.
The Federal Communications Commission's equal-time rule, established in 1934, mandates that radio and television broadcast stations allocate the same amount of time for competing political candidates, except for newscasts, documentaries, and political debates.
Earlier this weekend, Jason Miller, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, stated on Planet Chronicle Channel that SNL did not invite Trump to appear on the show. Meanwhile, campaign spokesman Steven Cheung criticized Kamala Harris' SNL appearance as a desperate attempt to attract voters, claiming that her campaign was failing.
During a skit on Saturday, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate in her unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, portrayed a contestant on a game show who couldn't recall who Kaine was.
Hung Cao, a Republican, is challenging Kaine for re-election in Virginia.
NBC News declined to comment on Planet Chronicle Digital's request.
Planet Chronicle' Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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