FCC Begins Public Comments on ABC’s Petition

On May 22, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated a public comment period regarding a petition from Disney, requesting that ABC’s show The View be categorized as a “genuine news interview program.”

Disney filed this petition in early May on behalf of Houston’s KTRK-TV, aiming for an exemption from a law that mandates equal airtime for political candidates in non-news formats.

The Equal Time Rule, established as part of the Communications Act of 1934, is designed to ensure that all political contenders have equal access to broadcasting facilities, thereby preventing any broadcasting bias that could favor one candidate over another.

The petition for exemption originates from ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and several hosts featured on the program, which consists of a mix of news commentary and pop culture discussions led by a panel of women.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr questioned whether The View qualifies as a true news interview show in a post on X, highlighting that under existing FCC legal standards, programming cannot be deemed “real news” if it serves a partisan intent.

In defense of their request, Disney noted similarities between The View and other news shows, such as NBC’s Meet the Press and CBS’s Face the Nation, which offer political discussions and interviews.

However, Carr contended that The View fails to meet the criteria for a news program and should thus be required to grant equal airtime to various political candidates during election periods.

In their May 7 petition, Disney and ABC asserted that the FCC’s actions could not only disrupt longstanding legal precedents but might also suppress essential protected speech on The View and beyond. They emphasized that the program has been operating under a legitimate news exemption granted over two decades ago, which they argue is still valid.