Equal time rule just says CANDIDATES have to be given equal opportunity on the air.
The View doesn’t normally interview CANDIDATES and is therefore not covered by the equal time rule.
Known officially as the equal opportunities rule. It is still in effect and applies to both radio and television broadcasters. The rule is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is not to be confused with the now-defunct Fairness Doctrine.
How the equal opportunities rule works
The equal opportunities rule is part of Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 and requires that:
If a broadcast station gives or sells air time to a legally qualified political candidate, it must offer "equal opportunities" to all other legally qualified candidates for the same office.
"Equal opportunities" typically means providing a comparable amount of time and audience size. The opposing candidate must request the time within seven days of the original broadcast.
Broadcasters are forbidden from censoring the content of the candidates' messages during a "use" of their facility.
The rule also requires stations to charge qualified candidates the "lowest unit charge" for advertising during the 45 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election.
Key exemptions from the rule
The equal opportunities rule does not apply to candidate appearances in certain "bona fide" news programming. These exemptions include bona fide newscasts, news interviews, on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events, and news documentaries where the candidate's appearance is incidental.
The equal opportunities rule vs. the Fairness Doctrine
The equal opportunities rule differs from the repealed Fairness Doctrine. While the equal opportunities rule applies to political candidates and requires equal airtime opportunities, the Fairness Doctrine applied to controversial issues and required broadcasters to cover important issues on an equal basis.
= new reply since forum marked as read