ABC rallies viewers against FCC threats to its broadcast licenses

This move signals a shift in the FCC's regulatory approach, moving beyond administrative technicalities into the scrutiny of editorial and hiring policies. For broadcasters, the challenge to the "bona fide news" exemption could effectively ban political interviews on daytime or late-night talk shows by making equal-time requirements unworkable. The use of early license renewals creates significant business uncertainty, as it establishes a precedent where political friction can trigger immediate regulatory risk. Watch for the FCC's final decision on the status of The View after the public comment period closes in July, which will determine if other networks face similar scrutiny for their talk show formats.

The FCC's decision to order early renewals has drawn sharp criticism from industry groups and legal experts. Per TV Technology (April 2026), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President Curtis LeGeyt called the request "nearly unprecedented" and warned it undermines the predictability Congress intended for the licensing process. This is the first time in over 50 years that the FCC has invoked its authority to call in the licenses of a major broadcaster for early renewal simultaneously across multiple markets. While Chairman Brendan Carr has cited Disney's corporate diversity and inclusion policies as the basis for the investigation, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez described the move as an "assault on the First Amendment," per CBS News (April 2026).

The regulatory pressure also coincides with public criticism from the White House. Following a segment by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that offended President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, the president publicly called for the network to lose its licenses, according to reporting from the Washington Post (June 2026). This political context has led civil society groups like Free Press to argue that the agency is being weaponized to punish specific editorial content. Furthermore, per the Los Angeles Times (June 2026), the FCC's scrutiny of "The View" follows a guest appearance by Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, which the commission used as a catalyst to reopen the show's news exemption status.

Legal precedent for these exemptions is well-established; the FCC first extended news interview exceptions to daytime talk shows like The Tonight Show in 1984. Reversing this would impact not just ABC but potentially the entire late-night and daytime ecosystem. The guardian reported in June 2026 that the public comment period for these investigations has already generated over 16,000 filings, a massive surge compared to typical licensing proceedings.