A number of TV stations in cities including Philadelphia, New York and Cleveland said Wednesday that they will stop airing the “Dr. Oz Show” following the host’s announcement that he will run for Senate in Pennsylvania.
The TV stations made the decision due to the “equal time” rules set forth by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which allow rival candidates to request equal air time, the Associated Press reported.
A Fox Television Stations spokesperson told the AP Wednesday that its stations in New York City and Philadelphia made the decision to drop the program. WJW-TV in Cleveland told the news outlet that they decided to stop airing the show because their station reaches “a little bit into Pennsylvania.”
The news comes after a source close to the “Dr. Oz Show” told The Hill that those at the show are in the process of “evaluating options and discussing plans” with broadcast partners “on how to move forward” after host Mehmet Oz’s decision to jump into the Senate race. Oz has not yet addressed what will come of the show.
Oz, who has enjoyed a years-long television career with his own program following frequent appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” announced that he was entering the race as a Republican to succeed Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) in a Washington Examiner op-ed Tuesday.
Oz will bring widespread name recognition to a race that is shaping up to be among the most competitive in the 2022 midterms, but is an untested candidate, having never run for office in the past. The television host also only registered to vote in Pennsylvania last year, which could raise questions as his campaign continues.