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After Harris's 90-Second SNL Cameo, NBC Gives Trump Equal Airtime Amid FCC Rule Accusations

Nov 4, 2024, 04:43 AM

Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise 1 minute and 30 seconds appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) on November 2, just days before the U.S. presidential election. The appearance prompted FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican appointee, to accuse NBC and SNL of violating the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Equal Time Rule. Carr argued that Harris's appearance was a "clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC's Equal Time rule" designed to prevent broadcasters from exerting undue influence on voters. NBC had previously stated that neither Harris nor her opponent, Donald Trump, would appear on the show due to election laws. In response to the controversy and allegations of election interference and media bias, the Trump campaign reviewed whether Harris's appearance warranted an FCC complaint for violation of the Equal Time Rule. NBC subsequently filed a notice with the FCC disclosing Harris's appearance and offered the Trump campaign airtime to comply with the Equal Time provision. On November 3, NBC aired Trump's video message twice: a 90-second message during its NASCAR race coverage and a 30-second spot during the "Sunday Night Football" postgame show, which reaches an audience of about 20 million, larger than SNL's 5 million viewers. The Trump campaign confirmed that NBC had reached out to provide the opportunity to match Harris's airtime, and Trump's message urged viewers to "go and vote." There was debate over whether Harris's appearance actually violated the Equal Time Rule. Some legal experts noted that the rule requires candidates to request equal time, and that broadcasters are obliged to provide it upon request. The FCC indicated, through a spokesperson for the FCC Chair, that there was no violation unless a candidate requested time and was denied. NBC stated it would honor any equal time requests.