Late-night and daytime shows need to show audiences views from both sides of the political spectrum.
That’s according to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who issued regulatory guidance directing broadcasters to give political candidates equal time, Politico reported.
Carr’s move, aimed at morning and late-night shows, has renewed concerns on how this may affect free speech.
Carr pointed to “The View” last fall when he hinted at such a requirement.
His comments followed threats to broadcasters who aired Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on ABC.
Before the 2024 election, Carr said “Saturday Night Live” allegedly broke the equal time rule when it featured then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. This forced NBC to give Trump air time on NASCAR and NFL events.
“For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes,” Carr wrote on X Wednesday. “Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”
President Donald Trump shared a headline on Truth Social, stating the FCC was going after “The View” and Jimmy Kimmel using the equal time rule. Carr shared the post on his X feed.
Daniel Suhr, a conservative lawyer who heads the Center for American Rights, lauded Carr’s the move and said it could affect hosts such as Stephen Colbert and Kimmel.
“Daytime TV like @TheView and late night shows like @JimmyKimmelLive & @ColbertShow have consistently featured only Democratic candidates while shutting out Republicans,” Suhr wrote on X. “This @FCC notice is an important step toward accountability for these legacy network shows.”
Anna Gomez, the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner, called Carr’s guidance misleading and said it marks “an escalation in this FCC’s ongoing campaign to censor and control speech.”
“Broadcast stations have a constitutional right to carry newsworthy content, even when that content is critical of those in power,” she said. “That does not change today, it will not change tomorrow, and it will not change simply because of this Administration’s desire to silence its critics.”
