The Federal Communications Commission said it will step up enforcement of politically driven daytime and late-night programming to ensure equal treatment for both sides of the aisle.

The three major broadcast networks were issued guidance regarding their compliance with the Communications Act of 1934’s “statutory equal opportunities requirement,” which requires equal access to broadcast station facilities for legally qualified candidates, regardless of political affiliation, the FCC announced Wednesday.

The law states that if a broadcaster allows one eligible candidate to appear or use its facilities, it must offer the same chance to every other eligible candidate for that office.

“A person is a legally qualified candidate for purposes of the FCC’s equal opportunities or equal time rule if they meet certain requirements, including having publicly announced their intention to run for office and qualifying under applicable state or federal law to hold the office being sought,” the FCC said.

While a long-running “bona fide” exemption has allowed news programming to avoid providing equal time to opposing candidates, the FCC said it has not been shown that evidence exists that interview portions of any currently airing “late night or daytime talk shows” meet that standard.

The government’s broadcast regulator cautioned that programs motivated by partisan purposes are not entitled to exemptions under longstanding precedent.

“Any program or station that wishes to obtain formal assurance that the equal opportunities requirement does not apply (in whole or in part) is encouraged to promptly file a petition for declaratory ruling that satisfies the statutory requirements for a bona fide news exemption,” the FCC said.

The FCC said it’s vital that broadcasters and legally qualified candidates understand equal opportunities rules that may require comparable airtime and placement for opposing candidates going forward.

In a follow-up statement, FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez ensured that “Nothing has fundamentally changed with respect to our political broadcasting rules.”

“The FCC has not adopted any new regulation, interpretation, or Commission-level policy altering the long-standing news exemption or equal time framework,” Gomez shared Wednesday.

“For decades, the Commission has recognized that bona fide news interviews, late-night programs, and daytime news shows are entitled to editorial discretion based on newsworthiness, not political favoritism.”

While the principle has not been repealed, revised, or formally considered by the commission, the announcement does not change the law, though it reflects a shift in enforcement posture.

“The First Amendment does not yield to government intimidation,” Gomez said. “Broadcasters should not feel pressured to water down, sanitize, or avoid critical coverage out of fear of regulatory retaliation.”

“Broadcast stations have a constitutional right to carry newsworthy content, even when that content is critical of those in power. That does not change today, it will not change tomorrow, and it will not change simply because of this Administration’s desire to silence its critics,” she added.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr doubled down on the statements in a post on X, writing, “For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night and daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes.”

“Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

The move is expected to send shockwaves through ABC’s “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” as well as NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” despite it being slated for cancellation in May.

A Media Research Center study conducted in December found that “The View” hosted 128 liberal guests throughout 2025, while inviting only two conservatives — actress Cheryl Hines, who is married to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and former Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The study noted that co-host Joy Behar said Republicans do not appear on the show because “they’re afraid of us,” a claim that prompted multiple conservatives to cite rejected or ignored invitations to appear.

A separate study of five late-night shows, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and “The Daily Show,” found that 99% of late-night guests were liberals during the final six months of 2025.

In total, the study found 90 liberals and Democrats compared with just one conservative.

President Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS last February over a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris that aired in October 2024.

Trump’s legal team accused the network of misleading voters by airing two different answers from Harris about the Israel-Hamas conflict during the interview, alleging the segment was deceptively edited to benefit his Democratic opponent.

The lawsuit was later settled for $16 million, which Paramount agreed to pay after Trump sued its subsidiary.

with Post wires