FCC commissioner claims Harris on ‘SNL’ violates 'equal time' rule
A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner has claimed that Vice President Harris’s recent appearance on “Saturday Night Live” violates the "equal time" rule.
“This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC's Equal Time rule,” Commissioner Brendan Carr posted on the social platform X Saturday in response to a post from The Associated Press about Harris being on the show that night.
“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,” Carr, a Trump appointee, continued.
The FCC’s “equal time” rules let rival candidates ask for equal air time.
During her appearance on this week’s episode of “SNL” Harris joined comedian Maya Rudolph, who often impersonates her, for a cold open sketch. While Rudolph was playing the vice president, Harris began her “SNL” debut on the other side of a mirror from the comedian.
“I’m just here to remind you, you got this, because you can do something your opponent can’t do — you can open doors,” Harris told Rudolph, seemingly referring to a video from earlier in the week in which former President Trump had a hard time grabbing the handle of a garbage truck.
The executive producer of “SNL,” Lorne Michaels, had said in a past interview that neither Harris nor Trump would make appearances on his show during this election cycle.
“You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter two months ago. “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.”
The Hill has reached out to NBC, the FCC and the Harris campaign for comment.
Topics
-
FCC regulator claims Harris appearance on SNL violates ‘equal time’ rule
World - The Guardian - November 3 -
NBC airs video message from Trump in apparent bid to provide equal time after Harris SNL appearance
Politics - The Hill - November 4 -
Trump campaign gets equal time from NBC after Harris' 'SNL' appearance
Entertainment - Los Angeles Times - November 4 -
Harris's 'SNL' appearance draws 70 FCC complaints: 'That was a cheap shot by NBC'
Politics - The Hill - 15 hours ago -
Trump taps FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to chair the agency
Politics - The Hill - 3 days ago -
Kamala Harris cold-opens 'SNL' with Maya Rudolph
Entertainment - Los Angeles Times - November 3 -
Trump says Harris 'copied my routine' on 'SNL'
Politics - The Hill - November 5
More from The Hill
-
Tom Homan says Trump admin will 'absolutely' use gifted Texas land for deportation program
Politics - The Hill - 4 hours ago -
Poll finds most Dems want Harris for next presidential nominee
Politics - The Hill - 5 hours ago -
GOP Rep. Van Orden says he would vote to release Gaetz report
Politics - The Hill - 5 hours ago -
GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin: Letting Oklahoma public school educators teach the Bible is a 'slippery slope'
Politics - The Hill - 5 hours ago -
19 Senators back limiting offensive weapons to Israel in key vote
Politics - The Hill - 6 hours ago