Vice President Kamala Harris appeared for only 90 seconds on “Saturday Night Live,” but her guest appearance sparked hours of debate online about whether NBC should offer “equal time” to former President Donald Trump.

Unlike many aspects of the 2024 presidential campaign, all parties worked together to resolve the issue quickly and clearly to the parties’ satisfaction.

After it was announced that Harris would join NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show, but before it aired, a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carrcalled the appearance “a clear and obvious effort to evade the Equal Time rule.”

Carr said: “The purpose of the rule is precisely to avoid such biased and partisan behavior – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to increase influence over a candidate on the eve of an election. Unless the broadcaster offers Equal Time to other candidates in eligible campaigns.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. in question Harris’ appearance at the Trump rally in Macon, Georgia, on November 3 was said to be “against the law.”

However, NBC filed a notice with the FCC on November 3, within a day of the series airing, and that Harris Appeared “free” for 90 secondsNBC and its owner Comcast offered an opportunity to meet the equal time requirement that day, the Trump campaign told PolitiFact.

Trump campaign shot 60 seconds straight to camera video message After “Football Night in America,” a NASCAR race and an NFL game, the Pennsylvania rally will air Nov. 3, working with NBC.

“We complied with the Trump campaign’s request for equal time in a manner consistent with our regulatory obligations.” NBC said NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik.

This isn’t the first time a candidate’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” has triggered such questions.

Trump hosted the show in 2015 and our analysis he later found that the “equal time” rule was complex and often misunderstood.

The rule comes into play when a broadcast station allows the face or voice of a legally qualified candidate to appear on air. It does not apply to cable or broadcast programs that cover news, such as “NBC Nightly News” or “Meet the Press.”

But since “Saturday Night Live” is a comedy show, it’s not exempt. But that doesn’t mean every presidential candidate is guaranteed to stay on “SNL.” The show tends to invite big names like Senator Hillary ClintonDY, Senator Barack ObamaD-Ill., Senator John McCainR-Ariz. and former Governor of Alaska. Sarah Palin. Jill Stein, the three-time Green Party presidential candidate? Not really.

“Remember that in some states there are multiple candidates for president and it would be impractical to give them all time on the same schedule,” William E. Lee, co-author of “The Law of Public Communications,” told PolitiFact. .

Georgetown Law professor and telecommunications policy expert Andrew Jay Schwartzman told us after Harris’ appearance that NBC had its way. federal law requirements.

Schwartzman said NBC “allowed a legally qualified candidate to ‘use’ air time. Trump asked for time… and received the equivalent air time.” he said.

Ishan Mehta, director of the media and democracy program at the public advocacy group Common Cause, agrees with Schwartzman.

“NBC had a plan, negotiated successfully with the Trump campaign, and did the right thing,” Mehta said. “That’s how the system is supposed to work.”

Schwartzman added: “Those of us obsessed with national politics may not realize that last-minute equal opportunity requests are common across the state, especially at the local level. Hundreds of local radio and TV stations are receiving requests in the days just before Election Day; we expect it, we’re used to it, and we’re used to it.” You know how to manage it.”

“SNL’s” “cold open” intro sketch features Maya Rudolph, who has since impersonated Harris on the show 2019He spoke into the mirror as he prepared his closing statement in Pennsylvania.

“I wish I could talk to someone who walked in my shoes,” Rudolph said. “You know, a black, South Asian woman running for president. Preferably from the Bay Area.”

Harris then appeared on the other side of the mirror and said, “You and I are both brothers.”

“I’m here to remind you: You got this,” Harris said and playfully touched him. Trump’s effort to open the garbage truck door. “Because you can do something your competition can’t: You can open doors.”

“I’m voting for us,” Rudolph said, standing side by side in matching black pants and pearls.

Harris joked, “Great, any chance you’re registered in Pennsylvania?”

A second sketch at the Nov. 2 show featured Sen., a candidate currently running for re-election. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; the joke was based on Kaine’s national obscurity despite being Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential nominee eight years earlier.

Hung Cao, Kaine’s Republican opponent in the U.S. Senate race in Virginia published a statement He said: “Many of my supporters say I should sue NBC for giving free air time to my opponent, Tim Kaine, right before my election. I disagree. Yesterday I was barnstorming 12 towns and cities in Virginia and talking about how we can ensure safety. Our borders and lower prices, while Tim was a humanitarian punchline in New York City.”

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