It rarely makes the national news, although it has from time to time, such as when there was speculation that Law and Order re-runs might trigger equal time requests based on Fred Thompson's 2007 candidacy. Another example was when when equal time requests were made after Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on the tonight show in 2007 and the FCC held that the appearance was a bona fide interview and thus exempt from the rule.

It was unaffected by the FCC repeal of the agency's fairness doctrine.

It is intended primarily to ensure that an equal amount of reasonably priced advertising time is made available to competing candidates. It also applies to "free" appearances.

NBC gave Trump "equal time" because the law requires them to do so.

If you are curious, here is more information:
https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf

media EVER given the Democrats "equal time" with their billions of dollars worth of free airtime and coverage to the FUCKING ORANGE TRAITOR**, since June 2015???

The rule ensure that an equal amount of reasonably priced advertising time is made available to competing candidates. It also applies to "free" appearances. It does not apply to news or interview programming.

Stations can't sell ad time only to one candidate and can't charge one candidate a different amount than it charges a competing candidate -- which party do you think benefits more from that protection?


Here is more information if you'd like to learn more about the "equal time" -- really "equal opportunities" rule: https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf

election cycle, when all one saw was endless coverage of the orange TRAITOR**, including hours of looking at empty lecterns at his rallies. A visitor to this planet would not have realized that there was, in fact, another candidate.

Why is news programming exempt? Because a government mandate directing a station to give "equal time" to all candidates in news programming would be struck down by the Supreme Court, unanimously, in a nanosecond.

It is intended primarily to ensure that an equal amount of reasonably priced advertising time is made available to competing candidates. It also applies to "free" appearances that aren't part of news coverage or interviews.

NBC gave Trump "equal time" because the law requires them to do so.

If you are curious, here is more information:
https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf

Is that right-wing crank at the FCC complaining about that?

FCC decided this 18 years ago.

https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2006/10/articles/fcc-rules-leno-is-bona-fide-news-program/

I bet a few lurkers learned something, too!