FCC Review Of ‘The View’ Puts Political Speech Rules Under Scrutiny
ABC is accusing the Trump administration of trying to chill constitutionally protected free speech and interfere with open political discussion in a legal dispute involving “The View.”
The dispute centers on whether the long running ABC daytime talk show should be subject to federal equal time rules, which require broadcasters to provide comparable airtime to competing political candidates.
ABC made the argument in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission that was made public Friday. The filing came in a dispute involving KTRK TV, an ABC station in Houston, but the language signaled a larger fight between the network and the Trump administration.
“The Commission’s actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly,” the filing said on behalf of KTRK TV and ABC.
FCC Reviews Whether “The View” Qualifies As A News Program
The FCC said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press that equal time law “encourages more speech and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections.”
The agency said it will review Disney’s argument that “The View” is a “bona fide news program” and therefore exempt from political equal time rules.
News programs are generally exempt from those rules. Trump’s FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, has indicated he plans to argue that “The View” should not be considered a bona fide news program.
That issue could have broader implications for other programs that mix entertainment, political interviews and commentary.
Also Read: James Talarico Interview Pulled Over FCC Equal Time Concerns
ABC Says “The View” Has Long Operated Under A News Exemption
In its filing, ABC argued that “The View” has operated under a bona fide news exemption for more than 20 years.
The network said that exemption is consistent with long standing FCC interpretations meant to limit First Amendment concerns tied to the equal time system.
ABC also argued that the decades old equal time doctrine does not fully match today’s media environment, where Americans get political commentary from podcasts, cable television, social media, streaming platforms and other digital outlets.
The network said narrowing the FCC’s approach to news exemptions “would risk restricting political discourse exactly when it is needed most.”
Media Disputes Continue Under Trump Administration
The ABC filing is the latest dispute between the Trump White House and U.S. media organizations over press freedom, political speech and criticism of the administration.
Other legal battles include a dispute between the Pentagon and The New York Times over access, a fight between the White House and The Associated Press over how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico, and Trump’s anger at The Wall Street Journal over reporting about Jeffrey Epstein.
“The View” has often featured political interviews and commentary critical of Trump. The administration’s criticism of the show also follows its repeated objections to late night hosts who have criticized the president, including ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.
Donald and Melania Trump recently called for ABC to fire Kimmel after a joke about the first lady. Kimmel said the joke was about the couple’s age difference and was not a reference to assassination.
ABC Says The Show Features Divergent Perspectives
ABC also noted that “The View” has long featured a panel of women from different backgrounds discussing major issues of the day.
“Although the lineup of the co hosts has changed over the years, ‘The View’ has consistently prioritized having a panel of women from different backgrounds in order to facilitate interesting discourse and the exchange of divergent perspectives,” the filing said.
