NBC grants equal air time for four longshot GOP candidates to match Donald Trump’s ‘SNL’ gig

Darren McCollester/Getty Images
On April 13, 2015 Florida Senator Marco Rubio announced that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president. At 43 years old, he is the youngest candidate.
JOE SKIPPER/Reuters
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush formally announced his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally in Miami, Florida June 15, 2015.
JIM BOURG/Reuters
Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announced during a speech in Baltimore on May 30, 2015 that he is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. O'Malley, 52, becomes the third candidate to officially bid for the Democratic nomination, joining Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders.
MICHAEL B. THOMAS/Getty Images
Rand Paul, U.S. State Senator from Kentucky, announced that he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination via his website. "I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government, he posted to his site.
DOMINICK REUTER/Reuters
Former three-term governor of New York George Pataki announced on May 28, 2015 that he will be entering the race for the Republican nomination for president.
Jim Cole/AP Photo
Former business executive Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on Good Morning America on May 4, 2015. Fiorina is the former CEP of Hewlett-Packard and was the first woman to head up a Fortune 20 company.
Mary Schwalm/AP Photo
On March 22, 2015, Texas Senator Ted Cruz posted a video to his Twitter page announcing his presidential candidacy with the caption, "I'm running for President and I hope to earn your support"
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson officially announced his candidacy for President of the United States in Detroit, Michigan on May 4, 2015. The controversial republican candidate made headlines when he said he believes that being gay is a choice.
Brandon Wade/AP
Mike Huckabee (pictured) is one of four GOP longshots who will get more air time on NBC. John Kasich, James Gilmore and Lindsey Graham are the others.
Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters
Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum officially declared his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an even in Cabot, Pennsylvania on May 27, 2015. Santorum was joined by his daughter Elizabeth (l.) and wife Karen (r.) during the event. Santorum was the runner-up in the Republican primary race four years ago and will try his luck again next year.
Danny Johnston/AP Photo
Former Arkansas Governor and current political commentator on "The Huckabee Report," Mike Huckabee announced he is running for the Republican presidential nomination. He was also a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
After a failed attempt to snag the Republican bid in the 2012 election, Rick Perry has decided to run for president once again. The Former Texas Governor announced on June 4, 2015 that he will be joined the race.
Richard Ellis/Getty Images
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham announced on June 1, 2015 that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president.
BRENDAN MCDERMID/Reuters
U.S. Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a bizarre and head-scratching speech at the Trump Tower in New York on June 16, 2015. "Our country needs a truly great leader, and we need a truly great leader now," Trump said. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again."
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Longshot Republican presidential candidate George Pataki says NBC has granted his campaign's request for equal air time to match the time fellow contender Donald Trump got while hosting "Saturday Night Live."
Gerald Herbert/AP Photo
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal waved to his supporters after he announced his U.S. Republican presidential candidacy in Kenner, Louisiana on June 24, 2015. The 44-year-old politician took to Twitter to make his big announcement before hosting his kickoff rally.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Democratic Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders announced on April 30, 2015 that he will be running for president. "After a year of travel, discussion and dialogue, I have decided to be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president," he stated.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Democratic Sen. Lincoln Chafee (D-RI) announces his candidacy for the U.S. presidency at George Mason University June 3, 2015 in Arlington, Virginia. Chafee joins Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley in seeking the Democratic nomination.
BRENDAN MCDERMID/Reuters
There was a lot of question around whether or not Chris Christie would run for president in 2016 -- and it looks like we finally have an answer! The 52-year-old waved to the crowd as he formally announced his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally at Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey on June 30, 2015.

PUBLISHED: November 23, 2015 at 6:01 p.m. | UPDATED: April 9, 2018 at 5:53 a.m.

John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, James Gilmore and Lindsey Graham may be coming to a television set near you.

NBC revealed Monday that it had granted requests by the campaigns of the four longshot GOP candidates for equal air time to match the time fellow contender Donald Trump got while hosting “Saturday night Live” earlier this month.

“In compliance with FCC regulations, NBC has come to an agreement with John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, James Gilmore and Lindsey Graham on each candidate’s equal time requests,” the network said in a statement through a spokeswoman.

Following Trump’s Nov. 7 hosting gig on NBC’s famous variety show, the network instructed more than 200 of its owned stations to offer equal time to the other 13 candidates in the GOP field, under “equal time” rules dictated the Federal Communications Commission.

Longshot Republican presidential candidate George Pataki says NBC has granted his campaign’s request for equal air time to match the time fellow contender Donald Trump got while hosting “Saturday Night Live.”

DONALD TRUMP MOST LIKELY CANDIDATE TO RUIN THANKSGIVING: POLL

Typically, if candidates appear on a news program, equal time rules do not apply, but “SNL” is part of the network’s entertainment, not news, lineup.

NBC executives calculated that Trump appeared on “SNL” for 12 minutes and five seconds, meaning other candidates could apply to appear on some of the network’s affiliates for exactly that amount of time.

The network has said that qualified candidates would only be eligible to ask for equal time on affiliates and network owned-and-operated stations.

Earlier Monday, former New York Gov. George Pataki, a fellow longshot GOP candidate, said that the network had also granted his campaign’s request for equal air time.

“We will have the equivalent of 12 minutes of free airtime on NBC affiliates covering Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” Pataki’s presidential campaign said in an email to supporters. “This amounts to literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in free advertising on NBC affiliates.”

The network, however, hasn’t yet confirmed that it had granted Pataki’s request.