ABC Defends The View As Real Journalism

"Carr said he'd investigate The View for interviewing Texas representative and Senate candidate James Talarico. Carr claimed The View isn't a "bona fide" news program and thus has to offer equal time to Talarico's opponents, like Jasmine Crockett. ABC has accused the FCC of violating the First Amendment in trying to make it abide the "equal time" rule. "The Commission's actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly," it reads."

"This particular beef began in February, when Carr said he'd investigate The View for interviewing Texas representative and Senate candidate James Talarico. Carr claimed The View isn't a "bona fide" news program and thus has to offer equal time to Talarico's opponents, like Jasmine Crockett. ABC has accused the FCC of violating the First Amendment in trying to make it abide the "equal time" rule. "The Commission's actions threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly," it reads."

"It also cited one-sided interviews that skewed right - Texas Republican candidates on The Glenn Beck Program, for example - that didn't provoke Carr's ire. This filing is the latest indication that Josh D'Amaro's Disney isn't interested in capitulating to the Trump administration. When Trump once again called for Kimmel to be fired over a joke (this time about the age discrepancy between him and Melania), the response was crickets from ABC."

"In response to the FCC's early review of its licenses, the network also issued a statement with backbone: "We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels." In legalese, that's basically a mic drop."

The FCC has targeted ABC over political candidate interviews on The View, asserting the program is not a bona fide news service and therefore must provide equal time to opposing candidates. The FCC ordered an early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses. ABC responded by filing a 52-page petition arguing that The View is journalism and that FCC enforcement threatens First Amendment protections and settled law. ABC also accused the FCC of violating free speech by focusing on The View while not addressing similar one-sided interviews on other programs. ABC stated it is confident it remains qualified as a licensee and will pursue legal remedies through appropriate channels.

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