“The View” may soon have to give its political guests a little less adoration and their opponents a lot more airtime.
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to rule that ABC’s daytime talk show does not qualify as a bona fide news program, Bloomberg reported. Such a decision would strip the program of a decades-old exemption and expose it to federal equal-time requirements for political candidates.
For a show that mixes celebrity chatter, partisan arguments and friendly interviews with Democratic politicians, the regulatory shift could prove seismic.
Under federal rules, broadcasters generally must provide comparable opportunities to rival candidates when a legally qualified candidate appears on air. Bona fide newscasts and news interviews receive exemptions, giving producers broad freedom to choose guests without turning every appearance into an invitation for the opposition.
“The View” has operated under that protection for more than two decades. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appears ready to reconsider whether the program still deserves it.
People familiar with the deliberations told Bloomberg that a ruling could arrive before Labor Day. The FCC’s Media Bureau would make the initial determination, which ABC could appeal to the full commission and eventually to federal court.
Disney is expected to challenge an adverse decision.
ABC has argued that revoking the exemption would intrude on its editorial discretion and fundamentally change how the program books political guests. Without the protection, an appearance by one candidate could trigger demands for comparable airtime from qualified rivals.
The expected decision comes as the FCC reportedly prepares to intensify a separate investigation into Disney’s broadcast television licenses.
'The View' faces trouble as FCC prepares to crack down on ABC show, revoke Disney licenses: report https://t.co/XkXSv0Vvtg pic.twitter.com/iwzPFOEBGg
— New York Post (@nypost) July 16, 2026
