By Kelcee Griffis | Bloomberg
Walt Disney’s ABC launched an on-air campaign asking viewers to support the network in two proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission—a push the agency characterized as “misleading” to viewers.
The regulatory body is reviewing whether the morning chat show “The View” should be required to provide equal time for political candidates with opposing views when it books people seeking public office as guests. The commission also began an early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses amid a probe of the network’s policies on diversity and inclusion.
“The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 30 years. Now, the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show,” one of the spots says. “Viewers use your voice.” The ad shows a QR code that allows the audience to respond.
Another spot addressing the license review says: “Every day, we commit to inform, entertain and serve you. Now, the FCC is questioning our commitment to the community.”
The spots are running on the eight ABC stations that Disney owns, as well as online.
“Disney wants the FCC to classify The View as a ‘bona fide news program.’ And it has chosen to run a campaign of misinformation to make its case — misleading viewers about the law. That is a choice,” an FCC spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
Disney’s mounting pushback against the FCC marks a firmer stance than the typically conflict-averse entertainment giant has taken in the past. Under pressure from the FCC last year, Disney temporarily suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel for comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. But this time, ABC has already told the agency that its “unprecedented” regulatory efforts will “chill critical protected speech.”
The FCC began scrutinizing ABC’s station licenses earlier this year in a surprising move just days after President Donald Trump once again called for ABC to fire Kimmel, this time over comments he made on his show about the president and first lady. ABC had already been under investigation by the commission after The View booked James Talarico, a Democratic Senate candidate from Texas, on the show.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has said the effort is aimed at ensuring broadcasters closely adhere to the agency’s equal-time rules, which he suggested have not been enforced rigorously in the past.