FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has condemned NBC for Vice President Kamala Harris's SNL appearance, claiming it flouts equal time rules before election day.
Fox News reported that days before Americans go to the polls, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," sparking controversy and allegations of favoritism.
Carr criticized the network for not providing similar opportunities to other political candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Jill Stein, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., thus potentially breaching FCC regulations that mandate broadcast neutrality.
Carr expressed his concerns in a series of public statements, including an interview with Fox News Digital and at a CPAC event earlier this year.
He emphasized the need for immediate action from the FCC to investigate and enforce its rules, highlighting the critical timing of the SNL episode featuring Harris only 50 hours before voting commenced.
The central issue raised by Carr is the equal-time rule, created in 1934, designed to ensure that all political candidates have the same media opportunities.
By showcasing Harris in a popular entertainment format, NBC may have granted her an unfair visibility advantage, speculated Carr. "NBC has structured this in a way that's designed to evade the FCC's rules," he stated.
The rule typically exempts appearances in news programs and interviews from the equal-time mandate. However, Carr suggested that Harris's involvement in a comedic sketch went beyond a simple news appearance, pushing into more explicitly promotional territory.
Lorne Michaels, creator of SNL, had previously stated that candidate appearances would be unlikely because of these stringent laws.
Trump’s campaign has lashed out at the appearance, calling it a sign of desperation. Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, attacked Harris, saying, "Kamala Harris has nothing substantive to offer the American people," a sentiment that underscores the political tensions exacerbated by the episode.
Harris’s visit to SNL was not without its logistical surprises. Originally planned to be in Detroit, Harris's flight instead landed at LaGuardia Airport, hinting at the last-minute decision for her to join the SNL cast. On the show, Harris interacted with Maya Rudolph, who has famously caricatured the Vice President in past episodes.
Rudolph’s comedic portrayal of Harris alongside the Vice President herself included lines that some viewers perceived as thinly veiled campaign messages. This mingling of comedy and campaign-style messaging is particularly what Carr cited as a potential violation of the FCC’s standards.
Speculations emerge that a previous SNL appearance by Senator Tim Kaine might also have skirted the boundaries of the equal-time rule, adding to the complexities of the FCC’s investigative challenges ahead.
The equal-time rule has a long history in U.S. broadcast regulation, intended to prevent media outlets from influencing elections by preferentially showcasing certain candidates. Carr’s call for action reflects concerns about maintaining a balanced public discourse surrounding election issues.
Penalties for violating the equal-time provision can be severe, with Carr mentioning that they could include "license revocations" in extreme cases.
This highlights the potential risks for networks like NBC if they are found to be in breach of these regulations.
As the FCC contemplates its next steps, the stakes are high for both NBC and broader broadcast standards during increasingly contentious election cycles. Carr’s firm stance signals a possibly rigorous enforcement path ahead.