You’ve probably heard someone grumble at a Thanksgiving dinner that the media is biased because "they got rid of that law where they had to be fair." They’re usually talking about the Fairness Doctrine. But then someone else chimes in about the Equal Time Rule. People get them mixed up constantly. If you are looking for a specific date for when did the equal time rule end, here is the twist: It didn't.
It’s still on the books.
Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 is very much alive, though it’s been tucked away, chipped at, and misunderstood for decades. While its cousin, the Fairness Doctrine, was killed off by the FCC in 1987 under the Reagan administration, the Equal Time Rule remains a legal requirement for broadcast stations. However, the way it functions in 2026 is a shadow of what people imagine it to be. It’s not about "balance" in news reporting. It’s about literal stopwatches and candidate access.
The Confusion Between "Equal Time" and "Fairness"
We have to clear the air on this first. Most people asking when did the equal time rule end are actually thinking of the Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine was the policy that required broadcasters to cover controversial issues of public importance and to present contrasting viewpoints. When that was revoked in 1987, it changed the face of talk radio and eventually cable news. It allowed for the "echo chamber" style of media we see today.
The Equal Time Rule is different. It’s specifically for legally qualified candidates for public office. If a station gives one candidate free airtime, they have to offer the same opportunity to all other qualified candidates for that same office.
It sounds simple. It’s not.
In 1959, a guy named Lar Daly was running for Mayor of Chicago. He was a perennial candidate who often wore an Uncle Sam outfit. He demanded equal time because the local news had shown film clips of his opponent, the incumbent Mayor Richard J. Daley, performing official duties like greeting a foreign dignitary and opening a charity drive. The FCC actually ruled in Lar Daly's favor. Congress panicked. They realized that if every time a mayor appeared on the news, every "fringe" candidate got free TV time, the news would become unwatchable.
So, they amended the law.
The Great Exemptions: How the Rule Was Hollowed Out
Congress created four big loopholes in 1959 that basically define how we watch politics today. Broadcast stations don’t have to give equal time if the candidate appears in a:
- Bona fide newscast.
- Bona fide news interview.
- Bona fide news documentary (if the candidate isn't the main subject).
- On-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events.
This is why a news anchor can interview a sitting president for thirty minutes without having to give thirty minutes to every single person on the ballot. As long as it’s "news," the rule doesn't trigger.
Then came the "Aspen Ruling" in 1975. The FCC decided that political debates—if they were sponsored by a third party like the League of Women Voters—counted as "on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events." This was huge. It meant TV networks could host debates between the two major parties without being forced to include the Green Party, the Libertarians, or anyone else.
By the time we hit the 1980s, the "rule" was more of a suggestion for anything involving journalism. But it still matters for entertainment.
The Saturday Night Live Factor
Think about Donald Trump hosting Saturday Night Live in 2015. Or Hillary Clinton appearing in a sketch. Because SNL is an entertainment show and not a "bona fide newscast," the Equal Time Rule actually kicked in.
Several other GOP candidates filed for equal time. Stations that aired SNL had to give candidates like John Kasich and Mike Huckabee 12 minutes of airtime (the amount of time Trump was on screen) to satisfy the law. This is the only place where the rule still has teeth. It's why you rarely see a running politician's old movies on TV. If a station airs a Ronald Reagan movie while he’s running for office, his opponent could technically demand equal time.
Why People Think It Ended in 1987
The year 1987 is the "Mandela Effect" of media law. That was the year the FCC, led by Chairman Mark S. Fowler, decided the Fairness Doctrine was unconstitutional. Fowler famously said that "television is just another appliance. It's a toaster with pictures." He believed the market, not the government, should dictate content.
The Equal Time Rule survived because it’s a statute—an actual law passed by Congress—whereas the Fairness Doctrine was an administrative policy created by the FCC. The FCC can change its own policies, but it can't unilaterally delete a law passed by the House and Senate.
But for the average viewer, the "vibe" of TV changed in 1987. The requirement to be "fair" vanished. People saw the rise of partisan firebrands and assumed the Equal Time Rule had been buried in the same grave.
The Digital Loophole
Here is the biggest reason the rule feels dead: It doesn't apply to the internet.
The Communications Act of 1934—and the Equal Time Rule within it—only applies to "broadcast" stations. We are talking about signals sent over the public airwaves. That means ABC, CBS, NBC, and your local radio stations.
It does not apply to:
- Cable news (CNN, FOX News, MSNBC).
- Streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, Hulu).
- Social Media (X, Facebook, TikTok).
- Podcasts.
Since most of us get our news and entertainment from these sources now, the Equal Time Rule is effectively invisible. If a podcast host spends four hours praising one candidate, there is no law requiring them to give the other side a single second. The law is tied to the "scarcity" of the airwaves, a concept that feels increasingly ancient in a world of infinite digital bandwidth.
Is It Ever Coming Back?
Probably not in the way people think. There have been various attempts to revive "fairness" in media, but they usually die in committee due to First Amendment concerns. In a 2026 media environment, trying to enforce "equal time" on the internet would be a logistical nightmare. Who is a "legally qualified candidate" in a world where anyone can start a YouTube channel?
The reality is that when did the equal time rule end isn't a question of a date on a calendar, but a slow fade into irrelevance. It still exists to prevent a local TV station owner from giving his favorite city council candidate free commercials all day, but for the big picture of American politics, the "bona fide news" exemptions have turned the rule into a vestigial organ.
Practical Realities for 2026
If you’re a candidate or a concerned citizen trying to navigate this today, you have to look at the specific medium.
- Broadcasters still have to sell "Lowest Unit Charge": During the 45 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election, broadcast stations must sell ad space to candidates at their lowest available rate. This is part of the same legal family as the Equal Time Rule.
- Public Inspection Files: You can actually check a station's public file (usually online via the FCC website) to see who is buying time and if equal opportunities are being offered.
- Don't rely on it for "Balance": If you see a news program that feels one-sided, the Equal Time Rule won't help you. Unless a candidate is appearing in a non-news capacity, the station has total editorial freedom.
The "death" of the rule was a death by a thousand cuts—court rulings in the 60s, FCC shifts in the 70s, and the digital revolution of the 2000s. It’s a ghost in the machine. It’s there, but it’s not haunting the people it used to.
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What You Can Do Now
If you want to understand the modern landscape of media bias and regulation, stop looking for the Equal Time Rule and start looking at Section 230. That is the modern battlefield. While the Equal Time Rule dealt with broadcast fairness, Section 230 deals with the immunity of social media platforms for the content they host.
For those interested in how these laws actually impact their local community:
- Search the FCC’s Public Inspection Files for your local TV stations.
- Look at the "Political Files" to see the requests for airtime made by candidates.
- Note the difference between "Paid" time and "Free" time—the Equal Time Rule mostly guards against free, non-news appearances.
Understanding this distinction won't change what you see on your screen, but it will help you understand why the "Toaster with Pictures" looks the way it does today.