The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to rule that ABC’s “The View” is not a bona fide news program, a decision that would upend more than two decades of precedent and subject the Disney-owned daytime talk show to federal equal-time rules for political candidates, according to a report.
Bloomberg reported Wednesday that the FCC is also expected to escalate a separate investigation into Disney’s broadcast television licenses, moving the matter toward an administrative hearing that could ultimately threaten ABC-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles and other major markets.
The anticipated rulings, which people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg could come before Labor Day, would represent the most aggressive regulatory action against a major US broadcaster in decades and mark a significant victory for FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s effort to overhaul how the agency polices political programming.
If the FCC strips “The View” of its longstanding news exemption, the program generally would have to offer rival candidates comparable airtime when it interviews someone running for office — a requirement ABC argues would fundamentally alter its editorial discretion.
