‘The View’ Under FCC Investigation as Equal Time Rule Sparks Political Firestorm

Daytime television is usually the domain of celebrity interviews and hot-topic debates, but this week, The View found itself at the center of a high-stakes political and regulatory showdown.

The Federal Communications Commission has confirmed it is investigating ABC’s long-running daytime talk show over possible violations of the “equal time” rule, which requires broadcast stations to provide comparable airtime to competing political candidates.

“The FCC has an enforcement action underway on that,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters Wednesday, February 18, according to The Associated Press. “And we’re taking a look at it.”

Texas State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, appeared on The View on February 2, and his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, has also appeared on the show. Under the Communications Act, broadcasters must offer equal opportunities to competing candidates if one is given airtime.

In January, the Republican-led FCC issued new guidance stating that daytime and late-night talk shows are no longer automatically considered “bona fide” news programs exempt from equal time requirements — a shift from decades of precedent.

The scrutiny of The View comes amid parallel controversy involving CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Colbert said network lawyers barred him from airing an interview with Talarico due to equal time concerns.

“There was no censorship here at all,” Carr said, according to Reuters, adding that broadcasters are responsible for complying with FCC rules.

Colbert later posted the interview to YouTube, where it drew more than 6 million views. Because the equal time rule applies only to broadcast — not streaming or online platforms — the digital posting fell outside FCC oversight. Talarico reported raising $2.5 million within 24 hours of the controversy.

Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the new guidance, saying the agency lacks authority “to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression,” Reuters reported.

Carr, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday that watching the fallout from the Colbert interview “was probably one of the most fun days I’ve had in the job,” adding that Talarico “took advantage” of the attention “apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks.”

The View became a flashpoint when conservative guest co-host Savannah Chrisley defended Trump against accusations of racism during a heated segment about his Black History Month event at the White House.

“I think… what’s so hard for me to witness is people stating that the president is a racist,” Chrisley said. Co-host Sunny Hostin interrupted, responding, “He is a racist.”

Hostin later said, “Let’s call a thing, a thing. Donald Trump is a racist.” Chrisley countered, “He’s not.”

The exchange drew a statement from White House spokesman Davis Ingle, who called Hostin “an extremely unlikeable, talentless hack” and said, “No President has done more for black Americans than President Trump has.”