NBC News filed an Equal Time notice with the Federal Communications Commission last Sunday, announced Kamala Harris’ appearance on “Saturday Night Live” after the network was accused of violating longstanding rules.
“Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2024 national election, appeared without charge on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) for a total of 1 minute and 30 seconds on November 2, 2024,” the news release said.
Under normal circumstances, the submission would allow all other qualified candidates to compete against Harris to get the same airtime from NBC for up to a week. NBC will be required to provide it under federal law.
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Kamala Harris made a cameo on Saturday Night Live on November 2nd. (NBC/Saturday Night Live)
The news came after commissioner Brendan Carr, the senior Republican at the FCC, called out NBC’s decision to host Harris on the final episode of SNL before Election Day, while not giving former President Trump or other candidates the same amount of time in the presidential cycle.
“It has all the appearances, at least some leaders at NBC, at SNL, make it clear that they want to consider choosing one candidate before the election. Therefore, for decades, we have the same time. rules in the book, it to prevent that because remember, broadcasters are placed in a special position of trust They are not like others with a soapbox they have a license from the federal government to operate in the public interest,” FCC commissioner Carr told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview Sunday morning.
An NBC filing later Sunday confirmed that the network “views Harris’ SNL appearance as free use of its facilities and airwaves within the meaning of the federal Equal Time rule,” Carr told Fox News Digital later Sunday, highlighting Trump’s limited time and others. have in this case to take the network up on the offer.
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In the case of normal Equal Time, “it will usually open a period of seven days when all other qualified candidates can seek Equal Time from NBC-meaning a comparable time in a comparable program. Here, the opposing candidate does not have seven days,” Carr said.
FCC commissioners weighed in on X this weekend if the broadcasting company had violated the FCC’s same-time rules by hosting Democratic presidential candidates, but not Trump or other presidential candidates such as Jill Stein or even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – which is still there. on election ballots after dropping out of the race earlier this year and endorsing Trump.
The Federal Communications Commission’s equal time rule was established in 1934 and required radio and television broadcasting stations to provide equal time to competing political candidates. There are exceptions to the rule such as news broadcasts, documentaries and political debates.
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News Channel this weekend that SNL did not extend an invitation to Trump. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called Harris’ appearance a sign of desperation to appeal to voters as “the campaign spirals down the drain into obscurity.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 02: Maya Rudolph and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris appear on NBC’s Saturday Night Live November 2, 2024 in New York City. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton who ran during the failed 2016 presidential run, also appeared in a skit on Friday as a contestant on a game show who could not remember who Kaine was.
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NBC also filed an Equal Time notice for Kaine’s appearance, Carr told Fox News Digital. Kaine is running for re-election in Virginia against Republican challenger Hung Cao.
NBC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
