FCC chair’s call for ‘equal time’ could have chilling effect on TV and radio

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In 1963, Richard Nixon was trying to improve his public image after a failed run for governor of California. As part of this effort, he appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Jack Paar and played the piano.

Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign gained significant momentum when he played the saxophone and performed “Heartbreak Hotel” on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” This appearance was seen as a key moment in his ultimately successful bid for the presidency.

Those popular interviews showed politicians how to influence public opinion by speaking directly to viewers, rather than facing tough questions from journalists. This approach allowed them to connect with people who didn’t typically watch traditional news programs.

Hollywood Inc.

SAG-AFTRA and WGA protest the decision to pull the late-night show after FCC chairman’s threats.

The tradition of equal time for political candidates on TV and radio could soon be enforced more strictly. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr wants to strengthen rules that require broadcasters to give all eligible candidates equal opportunity to be heard.

The FCC recently issued new guidelines that experts say would be difficult to implement and could limit free speech. These guidelines raise the question of whether talk shows, both late-night and daytime, should be exempt from rules requiring equal airtime for all political candidates on public broadcast channels.

The Trump White House recently took another step to challenge late-night talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel, who regularly criticize President Trump and give a platform to his rivals during their shows. This new rule would also impact daytime programs such as ABC’s “The View,” which is part of the news division of its parent company, Disney.

The ‘equal-time rule,’ a long-standing regulation, hasn’t been actively used much lately. However, it was relevant during the 2024 presidential election when NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ featured Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a comedic sketch.

NBC informed the FCC that Harris had been on air for a minute and thirty seconds. Trump’s campaign team then requested airtime from NBC and received two free, one-minute messages. These aired during the final moments of a NASCAR playoff race broadcast and during the coverage following a “Sunday Night Football” game.

The rule is now seen as outdated, created for an era when people only had a few TV and radio channels to choose from, even in major cities. With the rise of cable, podcasts, and streaming services – which aren’t regulated by the FCC like traditional broadcasts – traditional TV and radio have become much less dominant.

As a longtime follower of media trends, I find Professor Jeffrey McCall’s point about broadcast regulation incredibly insightful. He explained that the way the FCC used to approach regulating over-the-air broadcasters just doesn’t really fit today. It all goes back to a time when airwaves were limited – a situation we simply don’t have anymore, and the old rules were built around that scarcity.

I’m really concerned about how the equal-time rule will impact radio and TV stations. Michael Harrison, who knows a lot about the industry through his work with Talkers magazine, points out that these broadcasters are already facing tough competition from tech companies. It just doesn’t seem fair that radio and TV have to follow FCC rules while these tech companies have so much freedom and aren’t held to the same standards. It’ll put even more pressure on an industry that’s already struggling.

As a longtime listener, I’m really worried about what FCC Commissioner Carr is proposing. It feels like traditional radio and TV are already struggling to compete with everything online, and this plan would just make things even harder for them. Honestly, it seems like Carr is just trying to look like the FCC still has some control over what we watch and listen to, but it won’t actually fix anything.

I’m not convinced the equal-time law would hold up under serious legal scrutiny. Honestly, I think it’s pretty vulnerable if someone actually decided to fight it in court. It just feels like a rule waiting to be overturned.

According to McCall, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Roberts, has consistently upheld strong First Amendment rights. Their position is essentially that free speech should be protected without restriction. With the media evolving so rapidly, they believe the government shouldn’t be the one deciding what constitutes political speech or what’s considered fair reporting.

Hollywood Inc.

The conclusion of the ‘Late Show’ marks a significant loss for a traditional TV format that has struggled to stay popular and attract advertisers.

Network executives wouldn’t publicly comment, but off the record, they believe FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is trying to use the government’s control over public airwaves to silence those who criticize the president. President Trump has often suggested revoking a TV station’s license when he disagrees with a reporter’s questions or a comedy routine.

As a fan, I’m hearing that Commissioner Carr is really looking closely at how the big broadcast networks and their local stations work together. Apparently, some people think he’s worried Carr wants to drive a rift between them, because those local stations have to give equal airtime to candidates if asked. He’s said he wants to investigate how much power Hollywood and New York have over what local stations actually broadcast, and I think that’s a really important question to ask.

Making this rule happen would create a lot of problems for TV stations. Any legally eligible candidate running for office with a smaller political party could then demand free airtime. The rule states that if one candidate is featured on a TV or radio show, their opponents would have a week to request the same opportunity to be on air.

One TV executive, who wasn’t allowed to speak on the record, admitted it’s definitely a problem.

Following a request from Donald Trump, FCC Commissioner Nathan Carr has actively explored using agency rules to penalize late-night comedy show hosts who have criticized Trump. In September, Carr threatened to review the broadcast licenses of ABC after Jimmy Kimmel made comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which angered many conservatives. As a result, two large television station groups stopped airing Kimmel’s show, and the network temporarily suspended the program for one week.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump shared a news article claiming the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was paying attention to the ABC talk shows “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

As a film and media enthusiast, I found Carr’s push for stricter enforcement of the equal-time rule really interesting. It’s not just about fairness on TV, it could actually impact conservative talk radio too. While you don’t see many right-leaning hosts on the major networks, they dominate talk radio. So, if those hosts start giving Republican candidates a lot of free airtime, they’d have to offer the same opportunity to other candidates as well – that’s what the rule is all about, ensuring a level playing field.

According to McCall, if the FCC applies these rules only to television and not radio, they could face accusations of unfairly favoring some viewpoints over others.

I recently read a statement from Sean Hannity, the well-known conservative voice on Fox News and radio – his show reaches over 500 stations nationwide. He made it clear he doesn’t want the government getting more involved in controlling what’s said on the airwaves. Basically, he’s against more broadcast regulations.

Sean Hannity stated that his show’s success comes from listeners being discerning and recognizing it as a reliable alternative to what he views as biased mainstream media. He believes in less government control and allowing people to freely choose their news sources without interference.

The popularity of political jokes and discussions on late-night TV is largely due to Donald Trump’s unusual style of campaigning and leadership. Because he was already a well-known TV personality from “The Apprentice,” his run for president brought politics directly into mainstream pop culture. For example, Senator Bernie Sanders has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” nineteen times.

With so many different media outlets today, politicians are now commonly seen on television, often appearing as guests on late-night talk shows. Chris Licht, who previously produced Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” with a background in news, left that position for a short time to lead CNN.

Donald Trump actually benefited from late-night comedy shows. He appeared on “Saturday Night Live” twice, even once while he was actively campaigning for president in 2015.

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2026-01-23 14:32