equal time

American  

noun

1. an equal amount of time on the air, which radio and television licensees are required to offer to opposing candidates for public office and to those voicing diverging views on public referendums.

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equal time Cultural  

1. A ruling of the United States government, administered by the Federal Communications Commission, requiring that all candidates for public office be given equal access to the free or paid use of radio and television.

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Etymology

Origin of equal time

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Late-night host Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers advised against airing an interview with Talarico over "equal time" concerns, a dispute that ricocheted across political media and highlighted how campaigns now rely as much on viral moments as traditional organizing.

From Barron's

"He had not gotten rid of it yet, but CBS generously did it for him and told me unilaterally that I had to abide by the equal time rules, something I have never been asked to do for an interview in the 21 years of this job," Colbert said on his show Tuesday.

From Barron's

Colbert, host of The Late Show, went on to explain that new FCC guidance on the "equal time" rule - which requires TV and radio broadcasters to give equal time to rival political candidates - could have created legal trouble for the network, according to CBS lawyers.

From BBC

News content has traditionally been exempted from the "equal time" rule.

From BBC

The FCC equal time rules don’t apply to streaming, podcasts or cable TV because those mediums don’t use public airwaves.

From The Wall Street Journal