Walt Disney ($DIS)-owned ABC said Friday that the Federal Communications Commission’s investigation into whether “The View” violated equal-time rules for political candidates exceeds the agency’s authority and threatens free speech protections. The dispute centers on a February FCC inquiry following an appearance by Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on the daytime talk show.
- ABC argued in an FCC filing that “The View” has operated under a bona fide news exemption for more than 20 years.
- The FCC questioned whether daytime and late-night talk shows should continue qualifying for exemptions from equal-time broadcast rules.
- ABC said the agency’s actions could “upend decades of settled law and practice” and chill protected speech.
- The filing follows a separate FCC move requiring accelerated license reviews for ABC stations amid an investigation into Disney and ABC diversity policies.
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr previously cited concerns related to political programming and public-interest obligations for broadcasters.
Relevant Companies
- Walt Disney ($DIS) - ABC’s parent company is directly involved in the FCC investigation and license review process.
- Paramount Global ($PARA) - Owns major broadcast assets that could face broader regulatory implications tied to FCC equal-time interpretations.
- Comcast ($CMCSA) - NBCUniversal operates broadcast and late-night programming potentially affected by changes to FCC political programming rules.
Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. This article may be updated as more details become available.
