Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said Thursday that ABC’s “The View” may face scrutiny under federal broadcasting rules if it is determined not to be a bona fide news program.
In an appearance on conservative commentator Scott Jennings’s podcast, Carr raised the question of whether the daytime talk show still qualifies as exempt from the FCC’s equal time rule. That rule requires broadcast stations to provide equal airtime and access to competing political candidates.
“I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether ‘The View,’ and some of these other programs that you have, still qualify as bona fide news programs and therefore are exempt from the equal opportunity regime that Congress has put in place,” Carr said in the interview.
Carr noted that while some programs qualify as bona fide news programs because they cover current events and feature commentary, others may fall into a different category.
“Potentially, I would assume, you could make the argument that ‘The View’ is a bona fide news show, but I’m not so sure about that,” Carr said.
The remarks mark Carr’s latest criticism of the ABC daytime program. His comments came one day after he directed public criticism at ABC and its affiliates over Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, following Kimmel’s comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after Carr raised the issue, ABC announced Kimmel’s suspension.