A last-minute appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" sparks controversy over broadcasting regulations just days before the presidential election.
According to Fox News, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr strongly criticized NBC's decision to feature Harris on SNL's final episode before Election Day, arguing that the network failed to provide equal airtime to other presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump and independent candidates Jill Stein and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The controversy centers around the Federal Communications Commission's equal-time rule, established in 1934, which mandates radio and television broadcast stations to allocate equivalent airtime to competing political candidates, with specific exemptions for newscasts, documentaries, and political debates.
Carr expressed his concerns during a Zoom interview with Fox News Digital on Sunday morning, emphasizing the special position of trust broadcasters hold through their federal government licenses. He pointed out that NBC's actions appeared deliberately structured to circumvent FCC regulations.
The timing of Harris's appearance, merely 50 hours before Election Day, raised additional red flags for the commissioner. The surprise nature of the visit, which occurred after a scheduled Detroit flight was redirected to LaGuardia, further complicated the regulatory implications.
Carr shared the following statement about NBC's actions:
This has all the appearances of, at least some leadership at NBC, at SNL, making clear that they wanted to weigh-in in favor of one candidate before the election. That's exactly why, for decades, we've had an equal time rule on the book, is to prevent that.
The situation becomes more complex when considering NBC's previous stance on political appearances. SNL creator Lorne Michaels had stated just last month that featuring either Trump or Harris would be unlikely due to equal time provisions.
During the 2016 election cycle, NBC handled similar situations differently. When Trump appeared on SNL, the network's affiliates filed equal opportunity notices to ensure other candidates received comparable opportunities. The same procedure was followed when Hillary Clinton appeared on the show.
NBC has responded to the controversy by stating they will comply with all regulatory obligations, noting their history of hosting political figures from both parties over several decades.
Commissioner Carr is advocating for immediate action from his fellow FCC commissioners. He emphasized that while he alone cannot impose consequences, the commission has various enforcement options at its disposal.
The commissioner elaborated on potential penalties:
At the end of the day, the penalties range all the way up to potentially, in egregious situations, license revocations. And in my view, every single remedy needs to be on the table, at least as an initial matter.
The situation has broader implications for broadcast media's role in political discourse. Carr's criticism extends beyond Harris's appearance to include Virginia Senator Tim Kaine's participation in another sketch, as Kaine is currently running for re-election against Republican challenger Hung Cao.
The controversy highlights the delicate balance broadcasters must maintain between entertainment programming and regulatory compliance, particularly during election seasons. As the nation approaches Election Day, the incident serves as a reminder of the complex regulations governing political appearances on broadcast television and the potential consequences of their violation.
