John Kasich and others are calling for equal airtime. | AP Photo Kasich, Graham, and Pataki want Trump’s time on 'SNL' They want equal time from early states.

Three Republican presidential candidates — John Kasich, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki — have demanded the same free airtime that Donald Trump received when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” last weekend.

Trump appeared on the late-night show for 12 minutes and 5 seconds and, under Federal Communications Communication rules, his 2016 rivals must be granted an equal time and platform, if they demand it.


Attorneys for Kasich, the governor of Ohio, and Graham, a South Carolina senator, both filed letters to an NBC station in Iowa on Friday, according to FCC records reviewed by POLITICO. A Kasich spokesman said he had demanded time at stations in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and South Carolina. A Pataki spokesman said his campaign had demanded equal time from 16 NBC affiliates across Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and New York. Pataki’s request was first reported by CNN.

“Senator Graham is due an equal opportunity to appear on your station after Mr. Trump’s appearance,” said the letter signed by Graham’s chief counsel, Brendan Parets.

Pataki spokesman David Catalfamo had two words to describe why the long-shot candidate and former New York governor had sent the letter: “Equal time.”

Candidates have up until one week after a political opponent's appearance to demand time from television stations.