NBC is facing criticism for violating the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “Equal Time” rule after featuring Vice President Kamala Harris in the opening skit of Saturday Night Live (SNL) on the last weekend before the election, while former President Donald Trump received no similar airtime.
Harris appeared in the show’s “cold open” alongside Maya Rudolph, who portrayed her in the skit.
The appearance recalled Trump’s 2015 guest spot on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, though at that time, there were fewer questions about equal time restrictions. Recently, SNL creator Lorne Michaels had stated that he would refrain from inviting any candidates to appear on the show ahead of the 2024 election due to election laws.
In a September interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Michaels explained the need to comply with FCC’s Equal Time rule, which applies to broadcast radio and television stations licensed to use public airwaves.
The Equal Time rule mandates that broadcasters provide equal airtime to all legally qualified political candidates, unless the program qualifies for a bona fide news exemption.
Under these rules, if one candidate is given airtime, opposing candidates must be offered equivalent time and similar placement. With the election imminent, there is reportedly no time remaining for Trump or other candidates to appear on SNL, leading some to claim NBC’s handling of Harris’s appearance may have crossed a regulatory line.
