A RADIO PERSONALITY'S ON-AIR ENDORSEMENT...AN POSSIBLE EQUAL-TIME ISSUE?

This morning, at approximately 8:30 while I was walking to my bus stop enroute to work, I was listening to The M.J. Morning Show on Tampa radio station WFLZ-FM (also heard in Jacksonville and St. Louis). Host Todd Schnitt (a/k/a M.J., and thanks, kometes, for the correction...always appreciated) was beginning a segment where he was going to try and contact Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist regarding a lawsuit filed this week against a Broward County pet store for fraud. Schnitz, a self described conservative who also does an afternoon talk show that is aired in Tampa, Orlando, and Charleston, SC, said that he has known Crist since his days in the Florida Legislature and liked him a great deal.

The problem is that Schnitt commented during the segment before trying to reach the AG that he felt Crist would make an excellent governor, and at least three times during the segment said that Crist would be "the next governor of the State of Florida".

Being a 15 year veteran of the radio wars, I am aware that the rules may have changed since my on-air days ended, but I believe the equal time requirments in many cases are still in effect. And when I was "in the biz" any radio personality who made that type of comment on-air in the midst of a campaign --- especially a primary campaign --- would be sacked and escorted out the door in a heartbeat. No station manager in their right mind would risk the negative attention any type of comment that could even be considered an election endorsement would bring, especially when it would possibly attract questions from the FCC.

Sounds like Mr. Schnitt would be ready for a reprimand from his bosses at Clear Channel Tampa.