FCC Taking Action Against Disney Over "The View," ABC Stations: Report

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Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged: ABC, disney, fcc

FCC Taking Action Against Disney Over "The View," ABC Stations: Report

Sources are telling Bloomberg that the FCC is looking to escalate its fight against Disney over "The View" and its ABC station licenses.

Published Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:06:10 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

  • Disney faces an escalating FCC fight as Brendan Carr targets ABC station licenses and scrutiny around The View.
  • ABC’s eight Disney-owned stations were ordered to renew licenses years early, a move Disney calls retaliation.
  • Sources say the FCC may rule The View is entertainment, potentially triggering equal-time rules for candidates.
  • Bloomberg reports the Disney-ABC license probe could advance to a hearing, with Disney expected to challenge.

We've been covering the growing war between Disney/ABC and Donald Trump's Federal Communications Commission, led by FCC head Brendan Carr. You can check out our latest rundown here, but here's what we're looking at. Previously, Carr's FCC ordered Disney to "file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days." What that meant was that instead of going through the renewal process in 2028 and 2031, Disney's 8 ABC stations (Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, and Fresno) were required to have their paperwork in by May 28th, 2026. Though Carr claims the move is part of the FCC's investigation into the company's DEI practices, Disney sees it as retaliation for past issues the Trump Administration has had with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC News. In addition, the FCC has also targeted the popular daytime talk show The View, calling into question whether the talker should be classified as a legitimate news program and subject to the "Equal Time" rule.

Images: ABC; TWDC; FCC

Since that time, Disney has gone on the offensive, waging a public relations campaign via national and local spots, urging viewers to contact the FCC and voice their concerns about the FCC infringing on the First Amendment. According to Bloomberg reporting on Wednesday night, it seems the FCC might be ready to raise the stakes. With the actions reportedly expected to happen around the Labor Day holiday, here's what sources have shared with Bloomberg:

  • The FCC is going to label ABC's The View as an entertainment program, and not a "bona fide" news show. That means it would be required to give opposing political candidates equal airtime on the show, or from the station or network (at least in the market where the candidates are running).
  • The FCC is preparing to move its investigation into Disney's ABC station licenses to an agency hearing. If the review moves to an internal judicial review, either Carr or a panel composed of Carr and two other FCC commissioners could decide to strip Disney of its station licenses.

It should be noted that tonight's reporting is based on sources, so things may change. Also, Disney is expected to challenge any FCC actions against the daytime talk show or its licenses.

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