News had previously come out that The View was facing pressure from the FCC. Recently, ABC even called on fans to weigh in during a recent television spot. Viewers were asked to even send messages to the agency amid ongoing current events that could impact the show.
ABC Launched A Recent Campaign With A TV Spot Starting On June 22
The View has been running since 1997. Since that time, viewers have seen the show go through a few changes, especially its lineup of co-hosts. Currently, the panel is made up of Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro.
Starting on May 22, ABC has been airing a TV spot that asks viewers to share their thoughts with the FCC. This concerns the agency questioning whether or not the talk show is exempt from their equal time rule.
The spot comes with the message, “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.”
Disney Previously Filed A Petition Concerning The FCC’s Move Back In May
The ad also features a QR code to the FCC’s comments portal. This reads, “FCC’s Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Petition by Disney’s ABC Asking the FCC to Declare that The View Qualifies as a Bona Fide News Interview Program and Thus is Exempt from the Statutory Equal Opportunities Requirements.”
This move is in response to Disney’s petition for the administration to recognize the talk show as a bona fide news interview program. This would make it exempt from the FCC’s rule that it cannot give unequal time when interviewing political candidates between political rivals.
As previously reported, Disney filed its discharge petition last month. As they shared at the time, “The Commission’s order to file this Petition for Declaratory Ruling is unprecedented, beyond the Commission’s authority, and counterproductive to the Commission’s stated goal of encouraging free speech and open political discussion. 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.”
As noted by TV Insider, on April 28, the administration also ordered Disney’s ABC to file its license renewals for its television stations within 30 days. The challenge was said to be connected to the FCC’s ongoing probe of Disney’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
What is your reaction to this recent share? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with The View? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
