Reply #36: Equal time

[melm00se]

provisions remain on the books:

TITLE 47 § 315

Please don't confuse "equal time" with the "fairness doctrine" they are 2 completely separate issues.

"Equal time" requires broadcasters (with certain exceptions. The law addresses the specifics so you can look it up) to afford the same level of broadcast time to any qualified candidate.

So if Obama pays for and CNN runs a 30 minute spot, then CNN is obligated to give McCain the opportunity 30 minutes, in the same time slot (albeit on a different day) for the exact same amount of money - this also applies to the 3rd party qualified candidates.

I can see CNN's reluctance to carry a 30 minute spot, regardless of candidate, as accepting it could grow from 30 minutes to 60 minutes to 90 minutes to who knows how much time as other candidates chime in and a game of oneupmanship begins.

The "fairness doctrine" the OTOH does not apply to candidates for public office but rather to issues (usually controversial ones) and offering contrasting viewpoints so that only 1 side of an issue is presented.

This confusion is a common one as they, on the surface, appear to be interchangeable.