Conservative watchdog tells FCC that ‘The View’ is a Democratic Party operation, not a news program

The Media Research Center urged federal regulators Monday to strip ABC’s “The View” of its protected news status, filing an 18-page letter with the Federal Communications Commission arguing that the long-running daytime talk show functions as a partisan political organ rather than a legitimate news program.

The filing landed as ABC and Disney mounted a public defense of the program, launching an on-air campaign Monday urging viewers to submit public comments to the FCC before the close of the comment period.

“The View is a political operation of the Democratic Party, not a bona fide news interview program,” MRC President David Bozell wrote in a letter addressed to FCC division chief Maria Mullarkey. “ABC’s petition in defense of The View is a terrible misstatement of First Amendment law that obfuscates how ABC’s use of U.S. public spectrum is a privilege, not a right.”

The dispute centers on whether “The View” qualifies for a longstanding exemption under federal broadcast law that shields news interview programs from the equal-time rule. Under Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, broadcasters who give airtime to a political candidate must offer equal airtime to opposing candidates — unless the appearance occurs on a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary, or live news event. The FCC has previously said it had not been presented with evidence that any current late-night or daytime talk show qualifies for that exemption.

The agency opened an investigation into “The View” in February after Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the program. That inquiry touched off a broader regulatory debate over whether talk shows could continue relying on exemptions that had largely gone unchallenged for decades.

In its 18-page comment to the FCC, the MRC said it would submit 2,473 separate exhibits it contends document partisan conduct on “The View,” including what the group characterized as on-air electioneering. Among the examples cited was a remark by co-host Whoopi Goldberg directing the studio audience on what to do on Election Day. Mr. Bozell also alleged that ABC “misrepresented” the show’s character in its FCC petition by improperly invoking First Amendment precedents.

“MRC has published eight studies documenting how The View engages in partisan programming to promote Democrat candidates and Democrat-aligned policies, while refusing to interview those who would imperil Democrat electoral chances,” Mr. Bozell wrote, noting a recent interview of Vice President J.D. Vance as a rare exception.

The MRC’s public comment filing also invoked Congress’s rescission last year of all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, arguing the FCC had similarly “turned a blind eye” to ABC’s alleged violations and that tolerance for partisan use of public airwaves was no longer acceptable.

Disney and ABC have countered that “The View” received a bona fide news exemption from the FCC more than two decades ago and that the exemption remains valid. The network’s new on-air campaign warned that the FCC was seeking “to control who is allowed to appear on the show” and directed viewers to submit comments. None of the show’s hosts supported President Trump in the 2024 election — including Ms. Farah Griffin, the show’s self-described conservative voice and former Trump administration official, who announced on-air that she voted for Kamala Harris. The program hosted Mr. Vance last week for an extended interview.