NBC aired a 90-second Trump ad during NASCAR on Sunday in response to complaints about Kamala Harris’ last-minute appearance on Saturday Night Live, which appeared to violate the FCC’s Equal Time Rule.
Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, sparking claims it violated “Equal Time” rules that dictate a licensed broadcaster using public airwaves must give equal air time to a qualified candidate ahead of an election.
“This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule. 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,” said Trump-appointed FCC commissioner Brendan Carr on Saturday night.
“In the 2016 cycle, President Obama’s FCC Chair made clear that the agency would enforce the Equal Time rule when candidate Trump went on SNL. NBC stations publicly filed Equal Opportunity notices to ensure that all other qualifying candidates could obtain Equal Time if they sought it. Stations did the same thing when Clinton appeared on SNL,” he added.
According to Deadline, “NBC affiliates, including those in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have since filed notice that Harris ‘appeared without charge’ on SNL for one minute, 30 seconds on Saturday. A network source said they would comply with all regulatory obligations.”
“The FCC rules do not require that a network seek out opposing campaigns to offer the time. The rival candidates have to request it,” added Deadline.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), NBC broadcasted a NASCAR playoff race on Sunday in which viewers “noticed toward the end of the broadcast (technically right after the race ended but while coverage was still ongoing) that Trump appeared in an unusual ad, speaking directly to the camera while wearing a Red ‘Make America Great Again” baseball cap, and claiming that electing Harris would cause a ‘depression’ and that viewers should ‘go and vote.'”
