FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Thursday that it may be “worthwhile” to investigate whether ABC’s daytime talk show The View is violating broadcast rules, following the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Speaking on The Scott Jennings Show, Carr questioned whether The View, often perceived as having a liberal bias, still qualifies as a “bona fide news show,” a status that matters because, under the equal opportunity rule, broadcasters must offer equal time to political candidates unless a program is deemed news.
"Potentially, I would assume you can make the argument that The View is a bona fide news show, but I'm not so sure about that," Carr said. "And 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 exempt from the equal opportunity regime that Congress has put in place."
The Independent has contacted representatives from ABC and The View for comment.
Carr’s remarks came one day after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely over comments Kimmel made about the assassin of Charlie Kirk.
"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said.
Before the announcement of Kimmel’s suspension, Carr criticized ABC and its parent company, Disney, for what he said were violations tied to Kimmel’s monologue.
"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” he said.
Meanwhile, The View has been scrutinized by watchdogs for its guest selection. One analysis found that between January and April 2025, the show did not book any right‑leaning political guests, while hosting dozens of liberal voices, including Democratic officials.
The View has also faced repeated criticism from the Trump administration due to its hosts’ frequent on-air attacks against President Donald Trump. In July, a White House spokesperson warned that the show could potentially be "pulled off-air" if the commentary continued.
The episode did not mention ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! during Thursday’s broadcast. According to an ABC source who spoke with Fox News Digital, Friday’s pre-taped episode also won’t address the issue.
