Staff Reports
The latest dust-up in the political arena involves former President Trump calling out President Biden for what could be fairly termed as a self-serving campaign infomercial masquerading as a presidential address. Following Biden’s primetime monologue from the Oval Office, Trump’s campaign took to the airwaves—figuratively speaking—to demand their own airtime, under the Federal Communications Commission’s “equal time” provision. It’s an ages-old debate that harks back to a time when public airwaves were expected to serve the public, rather than double as a platform for the sitting president’s political aspirations.
David Warrington, the general counsel for Trump’s campaign, penned a letter to major networks ABC, NBC, and CBS, expressing concern that Biden’s speech was hardly the bastion of neutrality that a presidential address ought to be. According to Warrington, when a sitting president uses a televised address to trot out his endorsement of Vice President Harris, it’s less a bona fide news event and more a flashy campaign commercial. It’s like when a fast-food chain uses a high-powered celebrity to sell burgers—great for the brand, but not exactly what one expects during the evening news.
The Trump campaign demands equal air time after Biden's speech tonight.
They spent their entire convention attacking Biden. Now that he's not in the race, they only have his rallies – which networks don't take live for many reasons, but mostly the lying. pic.twitter.com/nhmRpyTyCn
— BRYAN SCHOTT – “The Evil That Destroys” (@SchottHappens) July 25, 2024
The tradition of preserving balance in media has all but vanished since the 1970s, when the airwaves were required to respect equal time for candidates. But that all changed thanks to President Ford and a Federal Communications Commission that bowed to the pressure of the political elite. In the aftermath of this decision, the exemption for “bona fide news events” was born, allowing presidents to bask in the limelight without consideration for fair competition. This loophole has been a source of contention, particularly as it now applies mostly to entertainment programming rather than legitimate news coverage.
Despite not receiving any comments from the networks at the time, Trump’s camp has pledged to follow up on this matter as a form of protest. Chris LaCivita, the co-campaign manager, promised that attorneys would be sending reminders to every network that turned Biden’s speech into a showtime event. It’s a classic case of putting the media on notice, reminding them that political neutrality should mean something more than just aggrandizing the current administration’s narrative.
This unfolding saga serves as a reminder of the lengths to which politicians will go to secure their voice in a world where media narratives can shape public perception. Contrasting TV’s days of stringent standards with today’s blurring of news and entertainment raises eyebrows and questions about the integrity of political discourse. With the Trump campaign’s insistence on equal time, viewers can expect a return to the days when airtime for political candidates wasn’t just reserved for the party in power. It’s a battle for fairness in a field that is increasingly tilted, and one can only hope it gets the attention it deserves. The networks may find themselves in a game of high-stakes political chess, where every move could lead to a remarkable resurgence of the principles laid down when the airwaves were more strictly governed by fairness.
