ABC has launched an ad campaign urging viewers to oppose the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) investigation into its daytime talk show The View. The campaign, which began Monday, encourages viewers to submit public comments to the FCC through a QR code displayed in the ads. The FCC is probing whether The View violated equal-time rules for political candidates after the show hosted Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico without offering equal airtime to his primary opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). The agency is also reviewing Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which has led to an early renewal request for ABC's broadcast licenses.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has questioned whether The View qualifies as a bona fide news program, which would exempt it from equal-time rules. The FCC's investigation into The View is set to conclude on July 6. Disney argues that the FCC's actions threaten free speech and has framed the probe as an effort to stifle criticism of former President Donald Trump. The FCC has not declined to renew a TV license since the early 1980s, and any such process could take years due to court challenges.