The US broadcast regulator has opened a formal investigation into whether the talk show The View breached federal equal-time rules, marking the most aggressive move yet in a widening crackdown that could reshape how political interviews are handled across American television – and beyond.
The probe, confirmed by sources to Reuters and first reported by Fox News Digital, centres on a recent appearance by Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico on the ABC daytime talk show.
It follows a policy shift by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which declared that late-night and daytime talk programs can no longer assume they qualify for long-standing exemptions from equal-time obligations under the Communications Act of 1934.
Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico
Equal time moves from theory to enforcement
Under US law, legally qualified candidates are entitled to equal broadcast opportunities, regardless of party. For decades, networks relied on a “bona fide news” exemption to sidestep strict parity requirements for interviews on talk shows.
That assumption is now directly challenged.
The FCC has said it has “not been presented with any evidence” that interview segments on current daytime or late-night talk shows meet the threshold for the exemption.
In practical terms, that means any candidate appearance may trigger an obligation to offer airtime to rivals – including primary opponents and little-known challengers – unless the broadcaster formally argues otherwise.
Talarico’s appearance was among the first since the FCC publicly announced its tougher stance. He received roughly nine minutes of airtime in a single segment.
By comparison, fellow Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett appeared on the show earlier this year across three segments totalling about 17 minutes, before the new enforcement posture was announced.
Because the equal-time requirement applies to all candidates on the ballot, ABC could, in theory, be required to offer airtime not only to Democratic rivals but also to other challengers.
From precedent to pressure point
Until this year, networks leaned heavily on a 2006 FCC Media Bureau decision that classified interview segments on The Tonight Show as exempt “bona fide” news content. That ruling became the de facto shield for political bookings on entertainment programs.
The current FCC has effectively reopened that logic, transforming what was once a settled precedent into a live compliance issue.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has publicly questioned whether The View complies with equal-time rules, and the agency’s move represents its first concrete enforcement step against a major broadcast network over candidate interviews.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr
Politics meets platform power
The investigation lands amid sustained political pressure on US broadcasters from Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised networks for what he characterises as partisan coverage and urged the FCC to act.
Trump shared coverage of the probe on social media and has previously floated revoking licences for stations that air Disney-owned ABC programming. Last year, Carr faced bipartisan backlash after warning broadcasters they could face fines or licence action over content from Jimmy Kimmel.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply criticised the investigation, framing it as a threat to press freedom.
“Like many other so-called ‘investigations’ before it, the FCC will announce an investigation but never carry one out, reach a conclusion, or take any meaningful action,” she said.
“This is government intimidation, not a legitimate investigation.”