The commission is reportedly preparing to reconsider whether ABC’s daytime program qualifies for a news exemption while separately moving its review of Disney-owned broadcast licenses toward a possible administrative hearing.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly preparing to determine that ABC’s “The View” does not qualify as a bona fide news program, a decision that could subject the Disney-owned daytime show to federal equal-time requirements for political candidates.
The New York Post reported that such a ruling would reverse more than two decades of precedent governing the program’s treatment under federal broadcasting rules.
Broadcasters generally must provide legally qualified political candidates with comparable opportunities to use their stations. Certain news programs, interviews and documentaries are exempt from those requirements when they meet federal standards for bona fide news coverage.
If the FCC concludes that “The View” does not qualify for that exemption, ABC stations carrying the program could face new obligations when candidates appear on the show.
The reported action comes amid broader criticism of ABC’s political programming, including accusations that “The View” and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel regularly present one-sided criticism of Republicans without providing comparable opportunities for opposing voices.
ABC airs both programs through broadcast stations that operate under licenses authorizing use of the publicly owned airwaves.
The commission is also expected to intensify a separate investigation involving Disney’s broadcast television licenses, according to the report.
That matter could move toward an administrative hearing examining licenses held by ABC-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles and other major markets.
An administrative hearing would not automatically result in the loss of a station license. It would create a formal process through which the FCC could review evidence, hear arguments and determine whether further regulatory action is warranted.
Because Disney owns ABC, any challenge involving major network stations could carry significant consequences for the company’s television operations.
The dispute over “The View” centers on whether the program’s format and political content should continue receiving the same regulatory exemption as a traditional news broadcast.
The daytime show features a panel of hosts discussing current events, public figures and political controversies. Critics argue that its commentary-driven format is fundamentally different from conventional news reporting and should therefore be evaluated under the equal-time rule.
Disney and ABC have treated “The View” as a news program eligible for the exemption, allowing the show to interview political candidates and discuss campaigns without automatically triggering equal-time obligations.
A ruling against that classification could require stations to provide comparable access to opposing candidates under certain circumstances.
The reported FCC review could also affect how other politically focused talk shows are categorized, particularly programs that combine interviews, news topics and opinionated commentary.
Any final commission decision would likely depend on the show’s format, editorial control, selection of guests and the extent to which its political appearances are considered legitimate news coverage rather than partisan advocacy.
The reported license investigation presents a separate issue from the equal-time question.
Broadcast licenses are granted to individual stations rather than networks as a whole, and the FCC evaluates whether license holders continue to serve the public interest and comply with federal law.
Moving the Disney license matter toward an administrative hearing would represent a significant escalation, although no final action against ABC-owned stations has been announced.
The two proceedings together could increase federal scrutiny of Disney’s use of broadcast television and the political content carried by its ABC network.
For critics of the company, the potential actions mark a long-awaited examination of whether programs such as “The View” should continue receiving regulatory protections while offering consistently hostile coverage of conservative politicians and voters.
For Disney and ABC, the outcome could determine whether one of the network’s most prominent daytime programs remains exempt from equal-time requirements and whether its major station licenses face a more extensive federal review.
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