ABC Defends ‘The View’ Against FCC’s Equal Time Rule Inquiry

ABC is actively opposing federal regulators’ efforts to reconsider whether its successful talk show, “The View,” is bound by equal time rules. The network accused the Trump administration of attempting to suppress free speech in this ongoing dispute. In a recent filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released on Tuesday, ABC argued that the commission had resolved the issue more than twenty years ago.

The latest ABC filing forms part of the FCC review process. It includes “reply comments” supporting the network’s request for a declaratory ruling that classifies “The View” as a bona fide news program. The show, which mixes entertainment with political interviews and frequently critiques President Donald Trump, may qualify for exemption from equal time rules. These rules require that equal airtime is given to competing political candidates. ABC referenced a 2002 FCC decision that recognized “The View” as a news program, exempting it from these rules.

In a prior May filing, ABC similarly accused the Trump administration of curbing its free speech rights protected by the Constitution and impeding open political discourse by revisiting the matter concerning “The View.”

The Broader Implications of the Dispute

This dispute represents part of a larger clash within and outside the legal arena between U.S. media and the Trump White House over perceived attacks on free speech and journalistic independence. President Trump has often criticized media outlets, conflicting with his agendas. Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, suggested arguing against “The View” being a bona fide news program. This issue could similarly affect other shows blending entertainment and politics.

Subsequent to the May filing, the FCC initiated a public comment phase as part of its review. ABC’s Tuesday filing highlighted over 77,000 comments received from the public, with a significant majority supporting “The View” and free speech. The new filing emphasized, “The First Amendment does not permit the government to sit in an editor’s chair. Yet, the Commission proposes deciding which broadcast programs qualify as legitimate news, forcing those it finds lacking to yield airtime to unchosen guests.”

“Whether a federal regulator may override a broadcaster’s editorial judgment about whom to interview — a judgment the Constitution commits to broadcasters and their audiences, not to the state,” is the critical issue, ABC stated.

ABC maintained that significant legal aspects concerning “The View” have remained unchanged since the Commission addressed this question two decades prior. “What has changed is not the program but the political climate around it.”

The network further argued that Carr’s FCC has focused on daytime and late-night shows deemed unfavorable to the current administration, leaving talk radio untouched where candidates frequently appear without their opponents. “This,” they stated, “is not evenhanded regulation.”

FCC Criticizes ABC for Public Misleading

An FCC spokesperson responded via email to The Associated Press, suggesting that ABC misled the public. “Although ABC claims ‘The View’ meets the criteria of a ‘bona fide news program,’ under the law,” the spokesperson noted, “ABC should concentrate on fulfilling its public interest obligations instead of misleading the public about them.”

The administration’s criticism of “The View” resembles its disapproval of late-night hosts who criticize Trump, particularly ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel. Both Donald and Melania Trump recently called for ABC to dismiss Kimmel over a joke, where the comic remarked the first lady had “the glow of an expectant widow.” Kimmel explained it was a harmless roast related to the couple’s age difference.

Jocelyn Noveck is a journalist who explores media and entertainment intersections for The Associated Press.