Trump FCC's equal-time crackdown doesn't apply equally-or at all-to talk radio

"It appeared that programmers were either overreading or misreading some of the case law on the equal-time rule as it applies to broadcast TV. We haven't seen the same issues on the radio side, but the equal-time rule is going to apply to broadcast across the board, and we'll take a look at anything that arises at the end of the day."

"Critics of Carr point out that his threats of equal-time enforcement apply unequally since he hasn't directed them at talk radio, which is predominantly conservative. Given the similarities between interviews on TV and radio shows, Carr has been asked to explain why he issued an equal-time enforcement warning to TV but not radio broadcasters."

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has threatened to enforce equal-time rules on daytime and late-night TV talk shows, despite interview portions historically being exempt from such regulations. Critics argue this enforcement is unequal because Carr has not directed similar threats at talk radio, which is predominantly conservative. When questioned about why TV broadcasters face equal-time warnings while radio broadcasters do not, despite similar interview formats, Carr claimed TV programmers have been misreading FCC precedents while radio shows have not. His vague responses suggest selective enforcement targeting networks disfavored by President Trump, including investigations into ABC's The View.

Read at Ars Technica