FCC Commissioner: SNL May Have Broken ‘Equal Time’ Rule with Harris Appearance
Kamala Harris made a brief, awkward, unfunny appearance on Saturday Night Live last night during the final days before Election Day.
According to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, however, that appearance may have violated the equal time rule.
The rule requires public broadcast organizations to offer comparable time and placement to qualifying candidates during a major election.
Carr said that Harris’ appearance may have broken that rule if President Trump was not offered a similar opportunity.
Carr referenced comments from SNL’s Lorne Michaels several months ago when Michaels said they would not be bringing on candidates due to election laws and the equal time provisions.
Michaels told The Hollywood Reporter in September, “You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions.”
Michaels added, “You can’t have the main candidates without having all the candidates, and there are lots of minor candidates that are only on the ballot in, like, three states, and that becomes really complicated.”
Just weeks ago, SNL’s Lorne Michaels said that they *would not* be bringing any of the candidates on due to election and equal time laws:
“‘You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions,’ Michaels said.” pic.twitter.com/xtfnNFXdfr
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 3, 2024
Carr further suggests NBC appears to have structured the appearance “in a way that evades these requirements.”
Federal law requires that broadcasters provide comparable time and placement to all legally qualified candidates when the Equal Time rule is triggered.
With only days before the election, NBC appears to have structured this appearance in a way that evades these requirements.… pic.twitter.com/PjrgWCqsgy
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 3, 2024
Carr added, “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.”
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.… https://t.co/LliZF0po9t
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 3, 2024
Trump campaign Senior Advisor Jason Miller told Fox News Digital that Trump did not receive an invite.
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