‘The View’ Under FCC Investigation Over Interview with Texas Dem
An FCC probe is examining whether ABC’s The View violated the equal-time requirements by airing a segment with democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and whether other legally qualified candidates should receive airtime. Fox News reported that the investigation centers on whether the show’s appearance breached the agency’s rules mandating equal opportunities for political candidates on broadcast networks. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has emphasized that the commission will enforce the rule and reminded broadcasters of their obligations. The piece notes debates over whether The View can be considered bona fide news, which would exempt it from equal-time rules, but the FCC has indicated there’s no evidence the interview qualifies for that exemption. The investigation also touches on other appearances, including democrat Jasmine Crockett, and points out that ABC did not file an equal-time notice about Talarico’s appearance.If The View is found subject to the equal-time rules, Republican candidates such as Sen. John Cornyn, texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt would potentially be entitled to equal airtime. The article reflects a broader push by the FCC to enforce equal-time compliance across broadcast networks.
Is “The View” unbalanced? That’s the question the Federal Communications Commission will be deciding, according to a new report.
Fox News reported that a Monday segment of ABC’s left-leaning daytime show is being investigated as a possible breach of agency rules on giving all political candidates equal time on broadcast networks.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says he is playing by the rules.
“On my watch, we’re going to enforce this regulation,” Carr said.
Decades ago, Congress made the decision to prevent covered broadcast tv programs from being used to advance certain partisan political purposes
While some may have been ignoring or misreading the law in recent years, enforcing the statute passed by Congress is not weaponization https://t.co/D9tqbhIWgB
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) January 22, 2026
Last month, the FCC sent out a reminder that it will enforce the “statutory equal opportunities requirement,” referencing the Communications Act of 1934.
News programming enjoys a “bona fide” exception from the equal time rule, but the FCC last month said it “has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late-night or daytime television talk show program on the air presently would qualify for the ‘bona fide’ news exemption.”
Fox News said the appearance of James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, triggered the FCC investigation.
Fox’s source said ABC made no equal time filing to the FCC about Talarico’s appearance, which implies that ABC believes “The View” is news and exempt.
Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, also seeking the Senate seat, was on the show for 17 minutes across three segments; Talarico was on for nine minutes in one segment.
The FCC said “The View” is subject to its equal time rules, meaning that three Republicans — Sen. John Cornyn, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt – would need time on the show, according to the New York Post.
In January, Carr put ABC and other broadcast networks on notice that programs like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The View” are subject to “equal time” rules if they have political candidates on their programs.
“For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late-night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs — even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes,” Carr posted on social media.
Trump’s FCC Is Right To Make Late-Night TV Follow ‘Equal Airtime’ Ruleshttps://t.co/CLhVs3WUeH
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) January 27, 2026
“Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities,” an FCC memo said.
“It is important that both broadcasters and legally qualified candidates understand the FCC’s equal opportunities regulations,” the memo added.
The memo said the FCC’s equal time rules “which do not apply to cable channels or other forms of distribution, represent, in codified form, the decision by Congress that broadcast television stations have an obligation to operate in the public interest — not in any narrow partisan, political interest.”
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