Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
The FCC opens a proceeding that could strip “The View” of its news-interview exemption from equal-time rules
After the agency signaled scrutiny of daytime talk shows, ABC petitioned on May 7, 2026 to confirm the exemption, and the FCC asked the public whether the show’s guests are chosen for newsworthiness or to favor candidates.
What happened
On May 22, 2026, the FCC’s Media Bureau sought public comment on whether “The View” should keep its exemption from the equal-time rule in Section 315. It asked whether the show’s guests are chosen for newsworthiness or to favor or oppose candidates. Chairman Brendan Carr has argued the show should not be exempt.
ABC and its Houston station KTRK had petitioned the FCC on May 7 to declare the show a bona fide news interview program. They acted after the agency signaled scrutiny of daytime talk shows. Section 315 requires broadcasters that give airtime to a candidate to give opponents equal time, unless the program is bona fide news.
ABC’s filings say the proceeding threatens to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill protected speech. On July 6 ABC rejected Carr’s claim that its public campaign was misinformation. The FCC has also ordered an accelerated review of ABC stations’ licenses.
Who benefited
Chairman Carr and the White House gained leverage over a network whose flagship talk show is often critical of the president. The equal-time rule is the instrument and the license review is the backstop. Candidates aligned with the administration would gain claims to airtime if the exemption were lost.
Who wanted something
Carr, a Trump appointee, drove the scrutiny, and the Media Bureau’s notice echoed his questions. He has pursued ABC, NBC and CBS over diversity policies and news content. Trump has publicly attacked “The View” and called for ABC’s licenses to be revoked.
Who lost out
ABC has spent months defending a status “The View” has held for two decades. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez said the accelerated license review was designed to pressure Disney. Other broadcasters lost certainty about which programs the government counts as news.
Why it matters
The government is now asking whether a talk show’s guest list is editorial favoritism. It is doing so at the same moment it reviews the licenses of the network that carries the show. Under the equal-time rule, a program that loses its news status must balance its guests by candidate.
Sources AxiosFederal Communications Commission, Media Bureau (primary)