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Candidates Kasich, Huckabee, Gilmore & Graham Get Free TV Ads To Settle Trump-NBC-SNL Equal Time Dispute

  • by: Alan Duke
  • (Tue, 24 Nov 2015 00:04:45 Z)

NBC will give GOP presidential candidates John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, James Gilmore and Lindsey Graham 12 minutes of TV ads on the 18 NBC stations in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina to compensate for the exposure Donald Trump got when he hosted the nets Saturday Night Live show.

The primetime ads will air November 27 and 28, including during that weekend's "Saturday Night Live."

NBC released a statement saying the deal complied with FCC equal times rules.

Candidate George Pataki, however, is still holding out for more. His campaign said it will continue to talk to NBC about a solution.

Kasich was the first to demand NBC stations give him equal time to balance Trump's appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Kasich, who is the governor of Ohio, filed a request with the FCC saying he "respectfully requests equal opportunity for the use of facilities that aired the Nov. 7, 2015, episode of 'Saturday Night Live' featuring an appearance by presidential candidate Donald J. Trump."

Trump's hosting gig on the comedy show is given some credit for a boost in his poll standings in early caucus and primary states where the NBC ads will run.

About the author:

Editor-in-Chief Alan Duke co-founded Lead Stories after ending a 26-year career with CNN, where he mainly covered entertainment, current affairs and politics. Duke closely covered domestic terrorism cases for CNN, including the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, the UNABOMBER and search for Southeast bomber Eric Robert Rudolph. CNN moved Duke to Los Angeles in 2009 to cover the entertainment beat. Duke also co-hosted a daily podcast with former HLN host Nancy Grace, "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" and hosted the podcast series "Stan Lee's World: His Real Life Battle with Heroes & Villains." You'll also see Duke in many news documentaries, including on the Reelz channel, CNN and HLN.

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