A question about Trump and the TV machine...

[annabanana]

Once his nomination becomes official at the convention, do the networks have to give equal time everytime he calls into his fave shows?

[redstatebluegirl]

1. You would hope so.

If the media quit giving him free air time for his daily call in shows he would be broke by now, or not the nominee at all.

[yeoman6987]

4. They mentioned that trump gets to much airtime but said Hillary doesn't do those

Hopefully now she will.

[jberryhill]

2. Oh good lord no.... that rule - "The Fairness Doctrine" was killed years ago

Additionally, the FCC has little to do with cable broadcasters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine

The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the Commission's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the Doctrine in 1987, and in August 2011 the FCC formally removed the language that implemented the Doctrine.

[rsdsharp]

3. No, the Fairness Doctrine was separate from Equal Time

The Equal Time Rule required, and still requires over-the-air broadcasters to provide equal time to candidates who request it. There are four exceptions to the doctrine: "If the airing was within a documentary, bona fide news interview, scheduled newscast or an on-the-spot news event, the equal-time rule does not apply." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule

Neither does it apply to cable, which is not over the air.

The Fairness Doctrine, gutted by Scalia and Bork on the DC Circuit, and ultimately killed by Reagan's veto when Congress tried to revive it, only required airing of controversial subjects, and to do so in a balanced way. It never required equal time.

[jberryhill]

5. Interesting, I did not know they were separate

I simply recall the quandary that TV stations had over whether they could air "Bedtime for Bonzo" when Reagan was running. If I recall correctly, many chose not to run Ronald Reagan movies lest they be inundated with demands for equal time.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1980/09/14/page/48/article/bonzo-and-pal-are-once-again-a-hot-ticket

[rsdsharp]

6. Yes, that was because of the Equal Time Rule.

For the same reason, Pat Buchanan stopped working at whatever network he was on when he ran for President.

The Fairness Doctrine was the reason stations ran editorials, and then allowed responses from the public. Think of Johnny Carson's character Floyd R. Turbo. But the responses did not need to be of equal time, or in a similar time spot.

The far right has consistently tried to conflate the two, arguing that if the Fairness Doctrine were reinstated, stations that run Rush Limbaugh, for example, would have to make 3 hours available for opposing view points. It's nonsense and they know it. They would have to air opposing view points, but not in a similar time spot, and not of equal time.