Bill > AR169

Introduced Session

This resolution urges the President of the United States and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate a potential violation of the equal time rule on political programming by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Additionally, in the event that NBC is found to be in violation of the equal time rule, this resolution urges the President of the United States and the FCC to suspend NBC's broadcasting license. On November 2, 2024, three days before the 2024 presidential election, Saturday Night Live (SNL), a late-night comedy variety show aired by NBC, aired a comedy skit featuring presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Pursuant to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) rules on political programming, if a station licensee permits a legally qualified candidate for public office to use its facilities, it is required to afford equal opportunities to all other legally qualified candidates for that office to use such facilities. As the station airing SNL, NBC failed to provide the opposing presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump, an equal amount of time on SNL. Amidst pushback on Harris's SNL appearance from several sources, including Brendan Carr, a commissioner of the FCC, NBC eventually provided Trump with some last-minute air time during its coverage of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Playoffs race and the National Football League (NFL) game on the night of November 3, 2024. Regardless of that rushed response, NBC may still be in violation of the FCC rules for failing to provide Trump with comparable broadcast time and placement to Harris. The FCC has a duty to investigate potential violations of their rules, including the alleged violation of NBC's failure to provide equal opportunities of time to opposing political candidates in the 2024 presidential election.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Bob Auth (R)*,  Gregory Myhre (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 12/12/2024)

Official Document