What goes around comes around, and this time MSM was forced to bite the bullet hard to meet it’s ‘fair time’ standards.
NBC was forced to air Donald Trump’s election ad during the NASCAR Xfinity 500 and an NFL game on Sunday night in a striking reminder of what’s at stake as Election Day looms. The ad, which opens with Trump sporting his iconic “Make America Great Again” hat, doesn’t mince words. Trump warns that electing Kamala Harris would be catastrophic for America, claiming her policies would drag the country into a depression. He calls on Americans to cast their votes, declaring, “We’re losing everything, including viability. We’re going to end up in a depression based on what’s been happening. We’ve never seen anything like it, at least in the last 40 years.”
This ad seems to be a direct response to Harris’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” and, predictably, it has sparked controversy. NBC faced immediate backlash for hosting the vice president on the last “SNL” episode before the election. This led to an uproar over whether NBC, as a broadcast network, was obligated to give Trump or other GOP candidates equal airtime to balance the apparent political spotlight Harris received on a national platform.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) quickly became involved, with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Republican, calling out NBC and SNL. Carr criticized NBC’s move, emphasizing that networks hold federal licenses that require them to act in the public’s interest—not as cheerleaders for specific candidates. “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,” Carr said, explaining the importance of the equal-time rule in maintaining fairness in media coverage during elections.
NBC on Sunday had to air an ad for President Trump during NASCAR’s post-race show per FCC mandate to give equal airtime to his campaign after SNL had Kamala Harris on Saturday.
Trump’s message is clear, Kamala broke America, he’ll fix it.
“Go and vote!”pic.twitter.com/7hxB3A0Sw2
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 4, 2024
According to Carr, NBC’s filing with the FCC on Sunday night confirmed that Harris’s SNL appearance would be considered a “free use” of NBC’s platform, thereby triggering the equal-time rule. While the specifics of how much airtime Trump and other candidates would receive remain unclear, NBC’s hand has been forced. The network must now offer Trump a comparable opportunity to reach viewers—essentially a win for fairness, even if it had to be dragged out of them.
Harris’s SNL cameo wasn’t exactly a profound political statement. She was there for a short 90-second skit, but that didn’t stop the left from celebrating it like a policy masterpiece. Yet this one-sided media bias is nothing new. Democrats have long enjoyed cozy relationships with Hollywood and mainstream networks. In fact, the very existence of the equal-time rule, which dates back to 1934, underscores the need to prevent media outlets from openly stumping for their favorite candidates.
Once again, Trump’s campaign capitalized on the situation, strategically placing a powerful ad to counter Harris’s SNL appearance. It’s a clever move, and it highlights just how effective Trump is at playing their game. While Democrats are busy hobnobbing with Hollywood elites, Trump remains focused on speaking directly to the people. And it’s that kind of approach that sets him apart from the typical establishment politician—keeping the focus on the issues that matter to ordinary Americans, like jobs, economic stability, and national security.
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