The FCC moves to strip 'The View' of its news status
The FCC moves toward ruling ABC's “The View” is not a bona fide news program—stripping its equal-time exemption; ABC formally objects, saying the proceeding threatens to “upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech.”
What happened
FCC Chair Brendan Carr's agency signaled it may rule that “The View” is not a bona fide newscast, which would strip its equal-time exemption and constrain what the program can air in an election year. ABC filed a formal objection on July 6 saying the proceeding threatens to “upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech.”
Why it matters
Reclassifying a critical program out of the news exemption is a content ruling dressed as a technical one: it lets the regulator decide which shows may discuss candidates freely. The chill lands on every broadcaster deciding how hard to press the administration before November.