Disney and ABC are currently facing allegations of running a misinformation campaign against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This comes after the FCC launched an investigation into The View‘s broadcast license last February to determine whether the show violated the Communications Act’s “equal opportunities requirements.” This also led the FCC to demand the early broad license renewal applications for all eight of the network’s local TV stations. In response, ABC filed a formal petition asking the FCC to declare the daytime talk show as a “bona fide news interview program.”
What is the update on the Disney, FCC, and The View situation?
Per The Wrap, during a recent press conference, FCC chairman Brendan Carr has accused Disney and ABC of running a campaign of misinformation, after The View launched several ad spots that informed its viewers about the show’s current situation. The network’s ad spots also urge viewers to help them push back against government censorship.
“One of the things that I saw was a statement from them in this ad campaign that says the FCC is trying to control who can appear on the show,” Carr said. “Look, Disney has a lot of high-priced lawyers, so I would assume that they understand the law, and the law is actually very clear. If you’re not bona fide news, the law simply requires the offering of comparable time and placement. It doesn’t dictate that you have to be on any particular show. So to accept that was a statement of law, that’s not consistent with what the law provides.”
The View is a daytime talk show that was created by the late Barbara Walters. The acclaimed broadcast journalist hosted the show for 17 years before retiring in 2014. The latest season is currently hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, and Alyssa Farah Griffin. It is currently executive-produced by Brian Tetam with Sarah de la O serving as a director. Throughout its run, it has garnered 31 Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Talk Show.
(Source: TheWrap)
