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NBC gives Donald Trump equal time on Kamala Harris’ SNL sketch
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NBC gives Donald Trump equal time on Kamala Harris’ SNL sketch

NBC is giving former President Donald Trump’s campaign free commercial time in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance Saturday Night Liveincluding an unusual ad during Sunday’s NASCAR coverage, a source familiar with the matter says.

Harris appeared on Saturday SNL for one minute and 30 seconds, meaning that if another presidential campaign requests it, NBC would have to give it about 90 seconds.

On Sunday, NBC aired a NASCAR playoff race, but some viewers noticed toward the end of the broadcast (technically right after the race ended, but while coverage was still running) that Trump appeared in an unusual commercial , speaking directly to the camera while wearing a red. “Make America Great Again” baseball cap and claiming that electing Harris would cause a “depression” and that viewers should “go and vote.”

A source familiar with the matter says the spot during the NASCAR race was plugged into NBC, giving equal time to the Trump campaign.

Trump got an extra 60 seconds of campaign time on NBC Sunday night football covering. While the game was already over, the spot — which was the same one that aired during NASCAR coverage — aired during postgame coverage (and shortly after a paid campaign announcement). That’s a total of 120 seconds.

It is unclear whether the Trump camp or NBC suggested NASCAR and SNF placements.

It is also unclear whether other campaigns have requested equal time. If they do, though, NBC will likely have to find time for them given FCC rules. SNL creator Lorne Michaels previously cited the rules in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter as a reason why the show didn’t have Trump or Harris during this cycle.

Harris appeared on SNL in a “cold open” draft. alongside Maya Rudolph, who plays the vice president for the late-night comedy show. The sketch saw Rudolph’s Harris seek a pep talk from the real Harris, with the pair ending the bit by saying “Keep Kamala and keep it up”.

However, the sketch drew a rebuke from FCC Commissioner Brendan Carrwho is seen as a potential chairman of the FCC if President Trump is re-elected. Carr wrote that the sketch was “a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s equal time rule” because it came just two days before Election Day, within the seven-day window the FCC gives campaigns to require equal time.

It’s worth noting that the rule “does not require a station to offer opposing candidates identical programming to the initiating candidate,” according to FCC regulations, but rather comparable time and placement.

Quick turnaround for NASCAR and SNF coverage suggests that the network is moving quickly to meet any equal time requests.

Kimberly Nordyke contributed to this report.