Trump 'SNL' Hosting Triggers FCC Time Requirements

NBC affiliates may want to get their stop watches out when Donald Trump hosts Saturday Night Live. Per Federal Communications Commission rules, qualified candidate appearances on non-news broadcasts are subject to the "equal opportunities" requirement, which requires TV stations who give airtime to one candidate to offer other qualified candidates for the same office an equivalent amount of airtime on the station. NBC could ask the FCC for a ruling that the show was a bona fide news broadcast or news interview program or documentary, and thus exempt from the requirement, but that would be a stretch.

The FCC makes such rulings on a case-by-case basis, including in the past that Entertainment Tonight was a news show that did not trigger equal opportunities requirements. Instead, look for it to advise affiliates of their obligation to post a notification in their FCC online political files of Trump's appearance and the exact screen time. That will trigger a seven-day window for Trump's opponents, so long as they are declared candidates and have been active in the state where the TV station is located, to seek a similar amount of time.
The requirement is on stations, not networks, to provide that equal opportunity,