Disney asks FCC to classify 'The View' as exempt from equal time rule

Source: The Hill

05/22/26 2:11 PM ET


Disney is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider whether “The View” is exempt from a statutory “equal time” requirement that applies to broadcast shows. In a recent filing with the agency, Disney, which owns ABC, argued “‘The View’ qualifies” as a “bona fide” news show under the law and compared itself to Sunday public affairs programs such as “Meet The Press” or “Face The Nation.”

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, in a social media post on Friday, said the FCC would seek public comment on Disney’s petition and asked, “Is The View a ‘bona fide news interview program’?”

“Under FCC case law, tv shows do not qualify as ‘bona fide news’ if their decisions are based on partisan purposes, such as an intention to advance or harm an individual’s candidacy,” Carr wrote. “As the Public Notice observes, Congress originally passed the equal opportunities law to prevent media gatekeepers from deciding the outcome of elections.”

The law, Carr continued, “does not prohibit anyone from having any candidate appear on any show. Rather, Congress intended it to empower voters with more information and encourage more speech.”. The latest exchange between Disney and the FCC comes after the agency last month ordered a review of the broadcast licenses of several local stations Disney owns and operates around the country.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5891668-disney-fcc-the-view-equal-time/