Graham, Kasich call for NBC airtime after Trump’s ‘SNL’ gig

Two low-polling GOP presidential candidates are calling for an equal amount of air time on NBC as Donald Trump after the GOP front-runner’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month. 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich sent a letter to NBC’s vice president of regulatory affairs asking for an equal amount of time on the network and its broadcast affiliates across the country — 12 minutes and five seconds in total. 

{mosads}Similarly, Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) sent a letter to the general manager of the WHO-TV broadcast station in Des Moines asking for 12 minutes on air in the early caucus state. 

Both letters were sent last Friday. CNN reported former New York Gov. George Pataki also filed a letter earlier last week. 

Under the FCC’s equal opportunity rules, stations that feature a presidential candidate during a non-news broadcast must disclose details of the appearance. Other qualified candidates can petition to get an equal amount of time on the air. 

There is a broad exception for news events and candidate interviews and debates, and the rules only apply to qualified candidates. 

“As you probably know, both Senator Graham and Mr. Trump are actively campaigning in Iowa for the Republican presidential nomination,” Graham’s lawyer wrote. “Both campaigns have multiple Iowa staff members and issue numerous press releases detailing their candidates’ Iowa activities. Mr. Trump and Senator Graham frequently appear at events in the state in support of their presidential candidacies.”

Grahams campaign asked the station to contact it “to schedule Senator Graham’s appearance.”

When asked about the equal opportunity rules last month, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the rules are clear and will be enforced.

“The process is you make the request and then we are kind of the adjudicator if things don’t take care of themselves,” Wheeler said. 

Both Graham and Kasich trail far behind Trump and Ben Carson in the primary. 

Kasich is averaging about 4 percent support, while Graham is barely registering in polls nationally and has failed to make it onto the main debate stage.