Inside sources revealed to Semafor that “The View,” the top-rated daytime talk show on television, succumbed to pressure from the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and “changed [its] programing,” the outlet reported Sunday night.
Back in February, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that his agency was investigating the program for potential violations of a 1934 rule that mandates certain media stations provide equal time to political candidates. As noted by Semafor, “since then, the ABC talk show hasn’t featured a single political candidate running in a competitive midterm race.”
“The inquiry itself has been enough to force the network to hedge which guests appear on the show, a notable departure from The View’s previous booking decisions,” Semafor’s report reads.
“Trump’s FCC, led by its aggressive chairman, has been one of the most visible regulators of American communications in a generation. The simple threat of regulatory action is now enough to impact how media outlets behave.”
A potential example of the show’s programing change occurred in recent weeks when a representative for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposed that “The View” host the mayor alongside two congressional candidates he had endorsed, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, an inside source told Semafor on the condition of anonymity.
“‘The View’ said it was interested in having the mayor on, but indicated it couldn’t accommodate Avila Chevalier or Valdez, now Democratic congressional nominees, [the inside source] said,” Semafor’s report reads.
“Among other reasons, the show’s staff noted that it was proceeding cautiously with political candidate bookings while the FCC’s equal time inquiry was progressing.”
Carr has faced scrutiny over his threats to revoke licenses from television broadcasters critical of Trump and the administration. Back in March, Carr bragged about the changes to media that had occurred since Trump retook the White House, speaking bluntly to an all-conservative audience.
“Look at the results so far. PBS defunded. NPR defunded,” Carr boasted at CPAC, MS NOW reported at the time. “[Stephen] Colbert is leaving. CBS is under new ownership. And soon enough, CNN is going to have new ownership as well.”