Presidential hopeful Donald Trump this weekend is poised to do for the Republicans what Hillary Clinton has done for the Democrats: trigger the “equal time” doctrine with an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”
Attorneys for NBC have updated the company’s Federal Communications Commission filings to note that Mrs. Clinton’s Oct. 3 appearance on “SNL” for 3 minutes and 12 seconds allows her primary opponents to demand equal airtime on the network. The doctrine, known as Section 315(a), does not compel broadcast stations to cover political candidates, but once a candidate appears on the air, stations are required to offer the same treatment to any rival who requests it.
The Radio Act of 1927 created the equal-time doctrine when airtime was a scarce commodity, so important for electoral success that federal regulation was deemed the only way to protect the public interest.
Read the full piece in the Wall Street Journal.
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