After public outrage over the media’s extremely biased behavior, the FCC responded by creating regulations that will require every television network to provide equal airtime for every candidate running for president.
This means that every time one of the news networks covers another Donald Trump controversy, protest or gaffe (which is just about all the media has been doing for the last 3 months), they have to give the same amount of coverage to Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Will this affect Trump’s current publicity strategies? Based on the fact that the media follows Trump around so madly that they can be compared to Gollum’s effort to follow the Ring, it is safe to say that this new regulation may indeed have an impact on the amount of free press time the billionaire receives.
Not only will he have to share the camera time, but also his opponents will receive just as much notoriety as he does. The entertainment qualities he brings to the election will soon be far less of a secret weapon for him.
The first thing we expect to see is Trump’s announcement of a lawsuit. We’re pretty sure he will find some reason to sue Ted Cruz over this, despite the fact that he is not in any way associated with the FCC.
Next, we will see Kasich hold on to Trump’s coattails by also blaming Cruz publicly even though the FCC’s move is a boost to Kasich who could really use the extra press coverage.
Up until now, Trump has not really had to share the spotlight with any of the candidates. Nearly all news networks have shunned Cruz, ignored Kasich, and really propped up Trump, Clinton and Sanders for the most part.
With accusations flying that the news networks are attempting to manipulate the public into voting a specific way, the FCC feels that equal press coverage for each candidate will eliminate these types of suspicions and negative feelings towards the media.
Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), was quoted as saying that “this is a genuine, heartfelt effort on their part to equalize the media’s influence in the election and to really put the decision back into the hearts and minds of the American public”. If a news network invites one presidential guest onto one of their shows, they must also invite every other candidate as well.
A staff of stopwatch operators has been hired by the FCC to monitor the fair viewing practices of each network. A network found to be neglecting any of the presidential candidates, regardless of what side of the political landscape they reside, will be fined heavily. The fine will be divided up and donated to the campaigns of those candidates being ignored.
As for our opinion on this bold move by the FCC, all we have to say is…..April Fools Day!!! No, the FCC did not really approve this type of regulation and Trump’s free press coverage will not be interrupted.