NBC to give free air time to 4 Republican candidates

In compliance with FCC regulations regarding equal time for presidential candidates, four Republican contenders will receive 12 minutes of free advertising on NBC to compensate for the 12 minutes and 5 seconds that Donald Trump appeared on screen in the Nov. 7 episode of Saturday Night Live.

NBC spokeswoman Lauren Skowronski told CNN Money that the network reached out to five campaigns that filed requests for equal time, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore will each receive 12 minutes of primetime ad time on 18 NBC affiliate stations in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire on Nov. 27 and 28, and during Saturday Night Live on Nov. 28. George Pataki had also requested equal time, but turned down the network's offer; his spokesman said the campaign will still discuss the matter with NBC and is "hopeful to reach a swift resolution."

Under FCC regulations, presidential candidates are entitled to equal time for appearances that do not qualify as news events, but the candidates will not necessarily receive the same platform. The SNL episode drew 9.3 million viewers.

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