ABC claims "The View" is a "bona fide news interview program" and thus should be exempt from Congress' equal opportunity rules, particularly Section 315 of the Communications Act.
But Michael Morris of Media Research Center (MRC) argues the program has become a political platform rather than a neutral news program, saying viewers expect a daily dose of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
"If they're doing any sort of electioneering or having any sort of candidates on, they have to provide equal time for that candidate's opposition," he explains.
But that has rarely been the practice at "The View."
"Over and over, the board is made up of dominantly leftist people, and almost no conservatives or Republicans get on the show at all," Morris reports.
ABC says "The View" has operated under that special status for more than two decades, and the network has asked the FCC for a formal declaration. However, amid longstanding criticism from conservative media watchdogs and an official filing from MRC, the agency is now reviewing whether the program meets the standard for that exemption.
MRC has accused the ABC program of functioning more as a liberal political platform than a neutral news interview program, arguing that the show's exemption from the FCC's equal-time rules allows it to promote Democratic candidates and causes without providing comparable access to Republicans. The group says the program has been actively breaching ABC's broadcasting license.
"The FCC is making a determination on whether or not 'The View' is a bona fide news interview program, and that's an exception to this equal-time rule," Morris reiterates. "They've been flouting the law, and the FCC has the opportunity here to put the check on broadcast networks."
The FCC will make a determination after July 9, when the public comment period ends.
