Trump FCCs beef with The View prompts ABC to launch on-air campaign for viewer support

ABC on Monday launched an on-air campaign urging viewers to support “The View” and eight Disney-owned ABC affiliates in its battle with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).Earlier this year, the FCC launched an investigation into ABC’s “The View” amid the agency’s crackdown on equal time for political candidates after Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the daytime gabfest.Disney’s ABC believes “The View” is bona fide news and, therefore, exempt from the equal time rule.

 ABC’s new campaign features a petition to declare that “The View” indeed qualifies as a bona fide news interview program.A commercial debuted Monday during the program that declared, “The View has welcomed your favorite guests for nearly 30 years.

Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show.Tell the FCC to let the viewers decide.

You have until July 6th.” The campaign also encourages ABC News viewers to support early broadcast license renewals for eight ABC-owned stations. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in April that KFSN-TV in Fresno, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WLS-TV in Chicago, WABC-TV in New York, WTVD in North Carolina, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV in Houston must prove they have been operating in the public interest as part of an ongoing look at Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] practices. Disney-owned ABC affiliates’ licenses were originally scheduled to be renewed between 2028 and 2031, but Trump’s FCC expedited the process. ABC launched ads in those markets that declared, “The FCC is questioning our commitment to viewers by threatening to take us off the air,” and urged viewers to speak up and help.ABC wants viewers to offer public comment through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System online and enter the corresponding docket number along with their submission. Both campaigns will also run online and across ABC social media platfo...