Disney challenges FCC probe into ABC's The View amid U.S. media regulation dispute

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Disney challenges FCC probe

Highlights

Disney challenges the FCC’s authority by arguing in a Tuesday filing that The View's news exemption remains unchanged since it was first granted over 20 years ago.
More than 76,000 public comments have been submitted in response to ABC's campaign urging viewers to oppose the FCC probe, with the comment period ending Monday.
Disney's legal pushback and ABC's on-air campaign highlight escalating tensions between U.S. broadcasters and the White House over federal regulation of editorial decisions.

FCC investigation and Disney's legal response

As reported by Financial Times, Disney says the Federal Communications Commission is overstepping its authority by examining whether The View should be treated as a news programme for the purposes of U.S. equal-time law. In a filing submitted on Tuesday, the company argues that the First Amendment does not allow the government to decide which broadcasts count as legitimate news or to force programmes to give airtime to guests they did not choose.

The filing, signed by lawyer Paul Clement, says the regulator is attempting to substitute its own judgment for that of broadcasters and audiences. Disney argues that nothing material under the law has changed about The View since the FCC granted the show a news exemption more than two decades ago, and says the political environment around the programme, not the programme itself, is what has changed.

Brendan Carr, the FCC chair, has launched two probes into Disney in recent months, including the inquiry focused on The View. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Carr has described ABC's on-air messages urging viewers to comment on the FCC website as a campaign of misinformation.

Political and industry implications for U.S. broadcasters

Disney is taking a more confrontational approach toward the Trump administration this year than it did previously. In response to the investigation, ABC runs advertisements asking viewers to show support through comments filed with the FCC, and more than 76,000 responses are submitted during the public comment period, which ends on Monday.

The stand-off highlights a wider clash between the White House and the U.S. media during Trump's second term, as he escalates legal and political pressure on several networks and newspapers. For broadcasters, the case carries implications beyond one talk show because it tests how far a federal regulator can go in reviewing editorial decisions about who appears on air.

Disney had earlier adopted a softer stance toward the administration. In 2024, the company agreed to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump against ABC.

Our earlier coverage of Comcast’s CMCSA outlook focused on the company’s planned tax-free spin-off of NBCUniversal (including Sky) and how the restructuring could reshape strategy and shareholder value. We also noted that, despite a short-term bounce, technical indicators were mixed and suggested consolidation as markets weighed the benefits of the spin-off against near-term uncertainty.

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