ABC is asking viewers to protest an FCC effort to strip The View of its longstanding exemption from equal-time requirements for political candidates. The network aired a commercial urging the public to submit comments opposing any attempt to "control who is allowed to appear" on the daytime talk show.

The FCC is reviewing whether The View qualifies as a "bona fide news interview program" under decades-old policy that exempts entertainment talk shows from equal-time rules. The View won this exemption in 2002 during the George W. Bush administration. Similar exemptions historically covered shows like Donahue, Leno, and Howard Stern.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated this proceeding after The View interviewed Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Carr has threatened punitive actions against networks critical of President Trump while avoiding scrutiny of conservative talk radio programs. The move represents a significant departure from the FCC's traditional approach.

Comments are due by July 6, with the FCC accepting submissions through its online portal. This dispute highlights growing tensions between regulatory oversight and editorial independence in broadcast media.