If they do actually give equal time to both sides of an issue, they will always end the segment with their side so you will go away with their arguments fresh in your mind.
Another way to the "Token Equal Time" works is by using worthless/phony conservatives to balance compentent hard-core liberals. Works as follows:
1) You put a Chris Matthews on MSNBC - a left-wing partisan hack, who's passionate and good TV - and balance him with a wimpy, wishy-washy, bow-tie wearing, Tucker Carlson.
2) You give a TV show to left-wing moonbat like Keith Oberrmann and balance him off with a bland, inoffensive, sleep inducing former Pol, like Joe Scarborough. You compound the lack of balance by having Joe Scarborough spend most of his time on missing girls in Aruba.
3) Or worse of all you're PBS producing McNeil-Leher, and you counter-balance a Democrat Hack like Mark Sheilds -who ran Mondale campaign in 1984 - with David Gergen. Telling your audience (as PBS did until he went to work for Clinton) that Gergen is a "REAGAN REPUBLICAN"
BTW, I still see Gergen preseneted as the Republican/Conservative balance on talk shows. That he worked for Clinton is never mentioned.