FCC Moves to Strip ABC's 'The View' of News Program Status
A ruling that 'The View' is not a bona fide news program would expose ABC and Disney to federal equal-time obligations, marking a significant shift in how the FCC defines broadcast journalism...
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to formally rule that ABC's daytime talk program 'The View' does not qualify as a bona fide news program under federal broadcast law, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday, July 16, 2026. Such a determination would subject the show to the equal-time provisions of Section 315 of the Communications Act, which require broadcast licensees to provide equivalent airtime to political candidates when one candidate appears on a non-exempt program.
Separately, Bloomberg reported that the FCC is expected to escalate a parallel investigation into Disney's broadcast television licenses, moving that matter toward an administrative hearing. An administrative hearing at the FCC is a formal adjudicatory proceeding that can result in license modification, renewal denial, or revocation. Disney, through its ABC broadcast network, holds licenses across multiple major television markets subject to FCC jurisdiction.
'The View' has aired on ABC since 1997 and has for more than two decades been treated by the FCC as falling within categories exempt from equal-time obligations. Federal law at 47 U.S.C. § 315(a) exempts bona fide newscasts, bona fide news interviews, bona fide news documentaries, and on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events from equal-time requirements. A reclassification would mean candidate appearances on the program could trigger legally enforceable demands for equivalent time from opposing candidates.
The FCC is an independent federal regulatory agency whose five commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As of July 2026, the Commission is chaired by Brendan Carr, nominated by President Trump and confirmed in January 2025 (Senate confirmation record, 115th Congress). The agency has not yet published a formal order or notice of proposed rulemaking on the 'The View' matter in its public docket as of this publication date.
What remains unknown is the precise legal theory the FCC intends to apply in defining 'bona fide news interview' for purposes of this ruling, the timeline for any formal order, and whether Disney intends to contest the license investigation in federal court. The FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) and its published orders database would contain any formal agency action once issued. Disney has not filed a public response in the FCC docket as of July 16, 2026, according to available public records.