The FCC may strip The View of a regulatory exemption it has held for nearly 30 years — and ABC is asking viewers to stop it.
The FCC opened a public comment period to determine whether The View qualifies as a "bona fide news interview program." That classification matters: shows that qualify are exempt from the equal-time rule, which would otherwise require broadcasters to offer opposing political candidates equal airtime whenever one appears. ABC launched a commercial this week urging viewers to submit comments to the FCC, framing the inquiry as government overreach — specifically, an attempt to "control who is allowed on the show."
The equal-time exemption has long covered daytime and late-night talk shows, not just traditional news broadcasts. If the FCC reclassifies The View, ABC would face a choice every time a political candidate sits across from Whoopi Goldberg: either offer opponents equivalent time or avoid candidates altogether. That's a meaningful constraint on editorial discretion, and it sets a precedent for every entertainment-adjacent talk format.
Using your own broadcast infrastructure to gin up public comments in a regulatory proceeding is a move worth noting — it is, in effect, lobbying dressed as a public service announcement.