FCC Chairman Considers Action Against ABC’s The View
Brendan Carr, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has indicated that “enforcement action” might be taken against ABC’s daytime talk show, The View, following the show’s recent invitation to Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.
“We’re looking at it,” Carr mentioned on Wednesday, expressing concerns that ABC could be infringing on equal time regulations. These rules stipulate that networks must provide equal air time to opponents of any candidate who seeks to appear on their show, as reported.
The FCC has previously issued warnings to shows like The View, signaling that they shouldn’t assume exemption from these regulations when featuring political candidates.
Carr also pointed out issues involving Stephen Colbert and CBS, particularly regarding the network’s choice not to broadcast an interview with Talarico that was to be aired on The Late Show.
“Honestly, anyone not overwhelmed by Trump Derangement Syndrome could easily see what was going on here,” Carr remarked. “A Democratic candidate adept at media manipulation utilized classic tactics to create a situation aimed at fundraising and garnering attention, and the media took the bait.”
Carr further remarked that Colbert was overstating the situation, stating, “There was no censorship involved.”
He went on to clarify that CBS hadn’t explicitly barred Colbert from airing Talarico’s interviews but had indicated that they couldn’t be shown on CBS affiliates in Texas, where Talarico is campaigning for the Senate.
Initially, Colbert attributed the cancellation of the interview to a directive from President Trump; however, that claim turned out to be inaccurate. Colbert later addressed CBS’s position, which was also somewhat misleading.
Carr accused the media of distorting the facts surrounding Colbert’s interview, asserting, “This illustrates precisely why the American public trusts gas station sushi more than they do national news media. This was clearly a ploy designed to generate clicks and revenue, and you fell for it.”
