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The equal time rule is a statutory requirement that has its origins in the 1927 Radio Act and was retained as part of the Communications Act of 1934. It applies to "uses" -- e.g. appearances -- by legally qualified candidates on broadcast radio or television stations, subject to various exceptions, occurring during a specified window preceding an election.
As a communications attorney for more than four decades, I can confirm that the repeal of the fairness doctrine has not stopped broadcasters from receiving and complying with non-exempt equal time requests.

The Fairness Doctrine was an FCC- created policy, first established in 1948, that required broadcast tv and radio stations to cover "controversial issues of public importance" in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints -- as determined by the broadcaster in its discretion. And, as a communications attorney for more than than four decades, I can confirm that the impact of the fairness doctrine was not nearly as significant as some claim.