ABC has launched an on-air campaign to rally viewer support for its daytime talk show "The View" and eight of its affiliated television stations amidst an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The network is urging the public to engage in the regulatory process by submitting comments to the FCC.
The FCC initiated an inquiry into "The View" earlier this year as part of a broader effort to enforce equal time rules for political candidates on broadcast programming. The investigation was prompted by the appearance of James Talarico, a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, on the show. Disney, ABC's parent company, asserts that "The View" is a bona fide news program and therefore exempt from the equal time requirement.
ABC's campaign, which debuted Monday during the program's commercial breaks, features a petition asking viewers to declare that "The View" qualifies as a bona fide news interview program. A commercial states, "The View has welcomed your favorite guests for nearly 30 years. Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Tell the FCC to let the viewers decide. You have until July 6th."
Alongside the defense of "The View," the campaign also seeks public support for the early renewal of broadcast licenses for eight ABC-owned stations. These stations, including KFSN-TV in Fresno, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WLS-TV in Chicago, WABC-TV in New York, WTVD in North Carolina, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, and KTRK-TV in Houston, are subject to an expedited review process initiated by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. This review is tied to an examination of Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
Original license renewals for these affiliates were slated for 2028 to 2031, but the FCC has accelerated the timeline. ABC is running advertisements in the affected markets that state, "The FCC is questioning our commitment to viewers by threatening to take us off the air," and are encouraging viewers to submit public comments through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System, referencing the specific docket numbers for each station.
Both the "The View" and station license issues are being framed by ABC as matters of free speech. The campaign will extend to online platforms and ABC's social media channels.
An FCC spokesperson, however, accused Disney of "misleading" viewers, stating, "Disney wants the FCC to classify ‘The View’ as a ‘bona fide news program.’ And it has chosen to run a campaign of misinformation to make its case—misleading viewers about the law. That is a choice."
The FCC's position, outlined in January, emphasizes the requirement for broadcast networks to adhere to the "statutory equal opportunities requirement" under the Communications Act of 1934, which applies to both daytime and late-night talk shows. While a long-standing exception exists for bona fide news programming, the FCC has stated it has not yet seen evidence that current daytime or late-night talk shows meet the criteria for this exemption. The agency maintains that the equal time law, which ensures legally qualified candidates receive equal airtime, encourages broader political discourse and empowers voters.
"The FCC will review Disney’s assertion that ‘The View’ is a ‘bona fide news program’ and thus exempt from the political equal time rules," an FCC spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital.