ABC says FCC bid to police The View threatens free speech

ABC is defending its iconic daytime talk show, The View, against an FCC attempt to strip its status as a legitimate news show. The FCC claims political opinions expressed on the show demand “equal time” rules, but ABC argues that The View represents the “marketplace of ideas” designed to reach a mass audience of women. It argues that, by subjecting the show to the logistical nightmare of hosting dozens of minor political candidates, the FCC is, in effect, stifling free speech that has historically prioritized the perspective of women. “Until now, it has never been disputed that The View qualifies as a bona fide news interview program,” ABC says in a petition seeking to dismiss the FCC’s claims, adding that the move “threatens to limit news coverage of political candidates and chill core First Amendment-protected speech for years and potentially decades to come.”