Key facts
- Republican campaign organizations have formally accused ABC's 'The View' of partisan bias.
- The groups argue the show systematically books Democratic candidates while marginalizing Republican ones.
- They contend this practice constitutes a 'political operation with a broadcast license.'
- The Republican committees cited the show's booking practices as detrimental to conservative candidates' ability to reach voters.
- FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has been urged to investigate the matter and has encouraged public comment.
Republican campaign organizations have formally accused ABC's talk show 'The View' of overt partisan bias, urging FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to investigate the program's booking practices. In a letter, the GOP committees' general counsels argued that the show's "deep and deliberate ideological slant" and "systematic booking of one party’s candidates — while marginalizing the other’s—is not good-faith news booking." They characterized the program as "a political operation with a broadcast license."
ABC declined to comment on the allegations. The network had previously warned Carr in May that he risked stifling political speech heading into the midterms. On Monday, ABC began airing ads encouraging viewers to submit comments opposing the probe, a campaign the FCC stated contained "misinformation." Carr has also used his X platform to encourage followers to comment.
'The View' frequently features political interviews. Vice President JD Vance appeared on the show last week, with the network reporting the telecast was its most-watched in over 18 months, drawing more than 3.3 million viewers. In 2024, Democratic presidential contender and then-Vice President Kamala Harris drew attention for her remarks regarding then-President Joe Biden's actions during her appearance.
The GOP campaign arms contend that conservative candidates' opportunities to sway voters are at stake in the FCC debate.