Equal Means Equal

The equal-time rule (47 U.S. Code § 315 - Candidates for public office) specifies that American radio and television broadcast stations must provide equivalent access to competing political candidates. This means, for example, that if a station broadcasts a message by a candidate, it must offer the same amount of time on the same terms (in, say, prime time) to an opposing candidate. Although the equal opportunities rule is often cited as not applying to cable, Section 315 of the Communications Act does state that for this purpose, “The term “broadcasting station” includes a community antenna television system..”