If Fred Thompson runs for Prez, should NBC.com pull his Law & Order clips from Web?
Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee) is widely believed to be on the cusp of throwing his hat in the ring for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Sen. Thompson, as you probably know, is also an actor. He's played Det. Arthur Branch on NBC's Law & Order" for five seasons.
There's a widely held belief that if he runs, the equal time provisions of U.S. broadcast television statutes will require that any L&O episode where Sen. Thompson appears should no longer be shown in syndication. Backers not only cite the spirit of the law, but the resemblance between the values held and practiced by Det. Branch and the real Fred.
No such equal time provisions exist for the Internet, as well as mobile devices. But that doesn't mean that NBC wouldn't be at least tempted to edit out Thompson's appearances on L&O highlight clips posted on the L&O website or available via mobile devices.
If Sen. Thompson jumps in the Presidential race, I'm betting NBC may do just that. Perceptions, you know...
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