FCC Launches Investigation into ‘The View’ Over Equal Airtime Rules

The Federal Communications Commission is reported to be investigating ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” regarding its adherence to equal airtime regulations for political candidates.According to a report by Fox News Digital, the probe was triggered by the appearance of James Talarico, a Democrat running for the Senate in Texas, on Monday’s broadcast. Mr. Talarico is the first political candidate to appear on the program since the FCC announced a renewed focus on enforcing “equal opportunities” requirements last month.The inquiry centers on whether the long-running show, hosted by Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro, must comply with the Communications Act of 1934.Historically, news programming has operated under a “bona fide” exception, exempting it from providing equal time to opposing candidates. However, the FCC recently signaled a shift in policy regarding entertainment-adjacent programming.The agency said it “has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late-night or daytime television talk show program on the air presently would qualify for the ‘bona fide’ news exemption.”An FCC source told Fox that ABC’s parent company, Disney, did not file an equal-time notice regarding Mr. Talarico’s appearance. By failing to file, Disney implicitly indicated that it views “The View” as exempt bona fide news.“Fake news is not getting a free pass anymore,” the source told Fox.The investigation highlights potential disparities in candidate exposure. Mr. Talarico’s segment lasted about nine minutes. In contrast, his primary opponent, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, appeared on the show for roughly 17 minutes across three segments last month — before the FCC’s enforcement announcement.Under the equal opportunity requirement, the network would typically need to provide equivalent time to all legally qualified candidates for the same office. This includes Mr. Talarico’s Democratic primary rival, Ahmad Hassan, as well as Republican candidates, such as the incumbent, Senator John Cornyn.The FCC policy shift has already drawn ire from late-night hosts. Jimmy Kimmel recently called the move a “threat,” while Stephen Colbert accused the FCC of attempting to “silence” him.But FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has staunchly defended the agency’s crackdown on late-night and daytime talk shows.“Under section 315 [of the Communications Act of 1934], if a broadcast station permits any legally qualified candidate for public office to use its facilities, it shall provide an equal opportunity to all other legally qualified candidates for that office,” read a press release issued by the FCC in January.Compliance does not necessarily require “The View” to interview every opposing candidate. Networks can satisfy the rule by airing campaign ads or having candidates appear on different news programs within the network.

FCC Launches Investigation into ‘The View’ Over Equal Airtime Rules

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