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ABC and Disney filed a lawsuit this week to block an early FCC review of their station licenses. But buried in that very court filing was a confession: the Federal Communications Commission’s pressure already changed what The View books and what clips the show will air. In plain language, ABC says one thing — “our standards didn’t change” — and then admits it changed its behavior because it was scared of the regulator.
ABC’s own filing eats its argument
The most striking lines from the complaint are hardly subtle. ABC’s lawyers admit producers became “more circumspect in booking political candidates” and “have chosen not to air clips” they otherwise would have run. That is the legal equivalent of saying, “We weren’t forced, we just… voluntarily stopped.” If you are asking a judge to block government overreach, it helps not to hand the government proof that its pressure worked.
Why the FCC moved and what triggered it
The FCC review traces back to the appearance of James Talarico — a Texas State Representative running for U.S. Senate — on The View. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr asked whether The View still qualifies as a “bona fide news interview program” and is therefore exempt from the equal-time rule. That rule exists so broadcasters don’t tip elections by favoring one side. Carr had already signaled a tougher line after other ABC incidents, and the review followed. Whether you like Carr or not, the law he is enforcing is simple: don’t treat the public airwaves as a private megaphone for one party.
What this admission means for free speech and for law
ABC’s complaint says the FCC’s actions chill speech. But the filing itself shows the chill in action. The network did not just pause candidate bookings — it scrubbed clips and edited segments to avoid scrutiny. That undercuts a pure First Amendment defense. If a regulator’s inquiry leads a news outlet to self-edit, the question becomes whether that inquiry was lawful enforcement or partisan intimidation. From a conservative angle, the takeaway is clear: enforcement of a neutral law that forces fairness is preferable to letting a major network pick sides unchecked.
Bottom line — courts will decide, but the record is telling
Disney/ABC asked a federal judge to stop the FCC’s early-review process. Courts will weigh the statutory equal-time rules and the First Amendment claims. But ABC has already given the argument away: it changed behavior because of the FCC. That reality should make judges skeptical of any claim that they were untouched by the agency’s actions. If television wants to play at being news, it must accept the rules that come with using public airwaves. Otherwise, don’t be surprised when enforcement follows — and don’t pretend you weren’t changed by it.
