ABC's daytime talk show "The View" has reportedly stopped booking political candidates who are running in competitive midterm races. This shift comes after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into the show for potentially violating the "equal time" rule.
Earlier this year, representatives for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani requested an appearance for the mayor along with two Democratic socialist candidates he endorsed for U.S. House primaries in New York. According to Semafor, the show expressed interest in hosting Mamdani but declined to feature the candidates, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez.
A source told Semafor that one of the reasons "The View" cited for turning down the candidates was the ongoing FCC inquiry. The "equal time" rule, a provision dating back to the 1930s, mandates that broadcast stations offer comparable airtime to opposing candidates if they feature one political candidate. However, "bona fide news" coverage is typically exempted from this rule.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has been actively questioning whether talk shows like "The View" should be considered news programs and therefore exempt. In January, the FCC released a public notice suggesting that such talk shows might no longer qualify for the exemption, stating that no evidence had been presented to suggest their interview segments would meet the criteria for bona fide news coverage.
ABC has defended the show's exemption, even running viewer-directed advertisements urging the FCC to drop its investigation. While elected officials have appeared on the show, such as Vice President JD Vance in June, Senators Chris Murphy, and Cory Booker, these individuals were not currently in competitive election races. Vance was not up for election, and Booker was unopposed in his primary.
Carr's FCC has been involved in other notable cases concerning broadcast regulations and political candidates. In February, comedian Stephen Colbert stated that CBS had spiked an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, citing legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC's equal-time rule. The interview was later published online, which is not subject to the rule.
Additionally, Carr previously criticized comedian Jimmy Kimmel over jokes made about a political figure, warning of potential FCC action. Kimmel's show was subsequently suspended by ABC for about a week.
The FCC did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.