The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC鈥檚 鈥淭he View鈥� over possible violations of the requirement that broadcast stations give to political candidates when they appear on-air, according to the head of the agency that oversees U.S. broadcast airwaves.
鈥淭he FCC has an enforcement action underway on that,鈥� Chairman Brendan Carr told reporters after an agency meeting Wednesday, in response to a question about whether there were an investigation into the daytime series over potential violations of the 鈥渆qual time鈥� rule. 鈥淎nd we’re taking a look at it.鈥�
, a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Texas, appeared on 鈥淭he View鈥� on Feb. 2. U.S. Rep. , who is running against Talarico for the nomination, has also been on the show.
The Trump administration has taken steps to clamp down on talk shows, which the FCC has suggested may be 鈥渕otivated by partisan purposes.鈥� Earlier in the week, late-night host Stephen Colbert said CBS executives had by Talarico on his program over fears it ran afoul of equal time provisions.
The FCC issued in January to late-night and daytime hosts that they needed to give political candidates equal time. There are exceptions to the rule, including for newscasts, 鈥渂ona fide鈥� interview programs, and coverage of live events or documentaries. Carr has raised questions about the talk show exemption and whether it should stand.
鈥淭he FCC has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late night or daytime television talk show program on air presently would qualify for the bona fide news exemption,鈥� according to the agency’s public notice last month.
Carr, a Trump appointee, suggested last year that investigating 鈥淭he View,” whose hosts have frequently been critical of the Republican president, might be 鈥渨orthwhile.鈥�
The FCC has not responded to a message seeking comment on 鈥淭he View鈥� or Colbert’s show.
On Wednesday, Carr said watching the fallout from Colbert’s characterization of what happened with Talarico 鈥渨as probably one of the most fun days I鈥檝e had in the job,鈥� adding that the candidate 鈥渢ook advantage鈥� of media attention 鈥漚pparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks.鈥�
The only to broadcast, not streaming or internet programs. Colbert later posted the Talarico interview to YouTube, where it’s been viewed more than 7.5 million times 鈥� several times what the comic鈥檚 CBS program draws each night.
Talarico reported that he had raised $2.5 million in campaign donations in the 24 hours after the Colbert interview.
A spokesperson for 鈥淭he View鈥� on Thursday declined to comment on Carr’s statement.
CBS says Colbert was provided 鈥渓egal guidance鈥� that broadcasting the interview with Talarico could trigger the equal time rule. Colbert that while Carr said in January he was thinking about getting rid of the exemption for late-night talk shows, 鈥淐BS generously did it for him.”
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at
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