Equal-Time Rule

The equal-time rule, more precisely the equal-opportunities requirement of Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, provides that a broadcast radio or television station that gives or sells airtime to one legally qualified candidate for public office must afford equal opportunity, on comparable terms, to opposing candidates for the same office who request it. The rule does not require identical content, and it is triggered only when a candidate seeks access. A 1959 amendment exempts four categories of programming from the requirement: bona fide newscasts, bona fide news interviews, bona fide news documentaries, and on-the-spot coverage of news events. Because the scope of the news-interview exemption determines whether programs such as talk shows must offer rival candidates equal time, that exemption is the central issue of the FCC’s 2026 reinterpretation of the rule.