- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
FCC Investigating 'The View' Over Equal Time Rule Violations
FCC Chairman says the agency is looking into potential violations by the ABC daytime talk show.
Published on Feb. 25, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating ABC's daytime talk show 'The View' over possible violations of the equal time rule, which requires broadcast stations to give equal airtime to political candidates when they appear on-air. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr confirmed the agency has an 'enforcement action underway' regarding the show.
Why it matters
The equal time rule is intended to ensure fairness and balance in political coverage on broadcast television. The investigation into 'The View' highlights ongoing debates over how the rule should be applied, especially to talk shows that feature political guests.
The details
The investigation was prompted after Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on 'The View' on February 2nd. His opponent, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, has also been a guest on the show. The FCC has issued new guidance stating that late-night and daytime talk shows may not qualify for exemptions to the equal time rule, which could impact programs like 'The View' and Stephen Colbert's late-night show.
- On February 2nd, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on 'The View'.
- On February 19th, 2026, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr confirmed the agency is investigating 'The View' over potential equal time rule violations.
The players
Brendan Carr
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which oversees U.S. broadcast airwaves and is conducting the investigation into 'The View'.
James Talarico
A Democratic candidate for the Senate in Texas who appeared on 'The View' on February 2nd.
Jasmine Crockett
A U.S. Representative who is running against Talarico for the Democratic Senate nomination and has also appeared on 'The View'.
Stephen Colbert
The host of the late-night CBS program 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', which also faced potential equal time issues after a planned interview with Talarico.
ABC
The network that airs the daytime talk show 'The View', which is under investigation by the FCC.
What they’re saying
“The FCC has an enforcement action underway on that. And we're taking a look at it.”
— Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman (krqe.com)
“Watching the fallout from Colbert's characterization of what happened with Talarico was probably one of the most fun days I've had in the job. The candidate took advantage of media attention apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks.”
— Brendan Carr, FCC Chairman (krqe.com)
What’s next
The FCC will continue its investigation into whether 'The View' violated the equal time rule in its coverage of the Texas Senate race.
The takeaway
This investigation highlights the ongoing debate over how the FCC's equal time rule should be applied to political coverage on broadcast television, especially for talk shows that feature candidate interviews. The outcome could have implications for how networks approach booking political guests in the future.
