ABC has written to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to challenge an investigation into whether the daytime talk show The View should keep its status as a "bona fide" news programme. The dispute matters because that classification exempts the show from the "equal time rule", and ABC argues the agency is improperly using its powers to police the editorial choices of broadcasters whose output is seen as critical of the current administration.

The FCC opened its inquiry in February after The View interviewed Rep. James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for the Senate, with FCC Chair Brendan Carr confirming he was reviewing the show's status. ABC counters that The View has not changed since it was first classified as a news programme in 2002 — only the "political climate" has — and warns that an exemption applied selectively protects no one. The letter follows related pressure on broadcasters, including CBS reportedly blocking a Stephen Colbert interview with Talarico and the FCC ordering early licence renewals for Disney-owned ABC stations over diversity policies.