{"id":2546831,"date":"2026-01-21T19:24:01","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T00:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fcc-issues-new-guidance-on-equal-political-time-exemptions\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T19:27:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T00:27:46","slug":"fcc-issues-new-guidance-on-equal-political-time-exemptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fcc-issues-new-guidance-on-equal-political-time-exemptions\/","title":{"rendered":"FCC issues new guidance on equal political time exemptions"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffcc-issues-new-guidance-on-equal-political-time-exemptions%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2546831&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Federal Communications Commission issued guidance clarifying that late-night and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/betty-white-tv-icon-dead-at-99\/\" title=\"Betty White, TV Icon, Dead at 99\">daytime talk shows<\/a> are not automatically exempt from the equal-opportunity requirements of Section 315 of the Communications Act. Broadcasters must offer comparable time to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/swiss-billionaire-pumps-208-million-into-left-wing-groups-that-help-democrats-win-elections-nyt-report\/\" title=\"Swiss Billionaire Pumps 8 Million Into Left-Wing Groups That Help Democrats Win Elections: NYT Report\">opposing candidates<\/a> unless an appearance qualifies for the &#8220;bona fide&#8221; news exemption, which the FCC says is fact-specific and limited to the program that requested it. A 2006 decision exempting The Tonight ShowS interview segment does not blanketly apply to other entertainment programs; shows must seek exemptions individually. The guidance follows concerns and reports alleging a strong bias in guest selection on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trevor-noah-to-leave-the-daily-show\/\" title=\"Trevor Noah to Leave The Daily Show\">late-night programs<\/a> and recalls prior enforcement when NBC gave equal time after kamala Harris&#8217;s SNL appearance. The FCC said it has received no exemption requests from such shows, and the notice has prompted responses from conservative groups that filed complaints against hosts like Jimmy Kimmel.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">FCC warns late-night and daytime talk shows about political equal-time exemptions<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-communications-commission\/\">Federal Communications Commission<\/a> issued new guidance on Wednesday on the application of the political equal opportunities statute, warning that late-night and daytime talk shows are not all exempt when they host certain politicians.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Under Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, broadcasters are legally required to offer equal time to candidates from different parties running for the same office. An exemption to this rule is if the content is &ldquo;bona fide&rdquo; news, meaning the politician appeared in a news segment, not an entertainment segment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/4428358\/beshear-davos-democrats-anti-trump-face\/\">Beshear uses Davos platform to raise profile as Democrats&#8217; anti-Trump face<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4428524\/newsom-trump-administration-blocked-davos-address\/\">Newsom claims Trump administration blocked his Davos speaking engagement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4427938\/samuel-alito-asks-past-support-hitler-kkk-could-remove-fed-governor\/\">Alito asks if past support of Hitler or the KKK could be enough to remove Fed governor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The federal equal opportunities regulations operate to prevent broadcast television stations &hellip; from unfairly putting their thumbs on the scale for one political candidate or set of candidates over another,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.fcc.gov\/public\/attachments\/DA-26-68A1.pdf\">the guidance states<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The bona fide exemption allows TV stations to air certain news-related appearances of political candidates without legally having to provide equal time to their opponents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The guidance comes after a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/newsbusters.org\/blogs\/nb\/alex-christy\/2025\/12\/22\/late-night-comedy-shows-go-six-months-99-liberal-guests-again\">Media Research Center report <\/a>found that late-night shows hosted 31 Democrats and no Republican elected officials in the last six months of 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3814958\/emboldened-fcc-chair-becomes-political-lightning-rod-in-free-speech-debate\/\"><strong>EMBOLDENED FCC CHAIRMAN BECOMES POLITICAL LIGHTNING ROD IN FREE SPEECH DEBATE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The FCC said it received concerns that late-night and daytime talk shows have been operating under the assumption that the interview portion of all entertainment programs falls under the exemption established in a 2006 decision.<\/p>\n<p>In 2006, the FCC&rsquo;s Media Bureau issued a decision exempting the interview portion of <em>The Tonight Show with Jay Leno<\/em> from the equal opportunities statute because it determined it was &ldquo;bona fide&rdquo; news.<\/p>\n<p>However, the renewed guidance states that the 2006 decision does not apply to all late-night and daytime talk shows with a program similar to Leno&rsquo;s, and that programs must request the exemption.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is not the case,&rdquo; the guidance said. &ldquo;These decisions are fact-specific, and the exemptions are limited to the program that was the subject of the request.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-mehmet-oz-left-longtime-staffers-jobless-and-blindsided-after-senate-campaign-announcement\/\" title=\"Report: Mehmet Oz Left Longtime Staffers Jobless and \u2018Blindsided\u2019 After Senate Campaign Announcement\">equal time rule<\/a> was last enforced after&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3214584\/kamala-harris-appears-on-snl-cold-open\/\">NBC&rsquo;s&nbsp;<em>Saturday Night Live<\/em>&nbsp;hosted<\/a>, then-Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President<\/span> Kamala Harris, but did not give then-Republican nominee, President&nbsp;Donald Trump,&nbsp;the same opportunity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">FCC Chair&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3814515\/who-is-fcc-chairman-brendan-carr-kimmel-suspended\/\">Brendan Carr&nbsp;<\/a>called NBC out, and the network then gave Trump equal airtime.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The FCC has not received any exemption requests from late-night or daytime talk shows, according to the guidance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is important that both broadcasters and legally qualified candidates understand the FCC&rsquo;s equal opportunities regulations and how they can result in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >broadcasters offering opposing legally qualified candidates comparable time<\/a> and placement,&rdquo; the FCC outlines in the guidance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4418830\/brendan-carr-fcc-oversight-media-influence\/\"><strong>BRENDAN CARR SAYS FCC HAS &lsquo;OBLIGATION TO ENFORCE THE PUBLIC INTEREST&rsquo; AS HE IS GRILLED OVER MEDIA AND MERGERS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Center for American Rights, a nonprofit conservative law firm <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">focused on media issues,&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/64962db7e6544b5852c68038\/t\/68d35b77d519570689c9ac1c\/1758681975498\/Jimmy+Kimmel+Complaint+vMF.pdf\">filed a complaint<\/a>&nbsp;against late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in September, arguing that&nbsp;<\/span>he consistently hosted Democratic candidates to whom he gave significant financial support.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/fairness-justice\/3820402\/next-for-tv-after-jimmy-kimmel-un-cancellation\/\">Daniel Suhr<\/a>, president of the Center for American Rights, said the guidance strikes &ldquo;right at the heart of left-wing bias.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This important action puts Hollywood hosts and network bigwigs on notice&mdash;they can no longer prop up Democratic candidates with free airtime while shutting out Republicans,&rdquo; Suhr told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FCC: Talk shows not automatically equal-time exempt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3984,"featured_media":2546832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-collage-022p1frwv-1769038942902-e1769039181525.jpg?1769021174&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[71595,21871,71594,16609,36622],"class_list":["post-2546831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-broadcast-regulation","tag-compliance","tag-equal-time-rule","tag-fcc","tag-political-advertising"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-collage-022p1frwv-1769038942902-e1769039181525.jpg?1769021174&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3984"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2546831"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2546835,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546831\/revisions\/2546835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2546832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2546831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2546831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2546831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}