ABC Network Seeks Public Support Amid FCC Investigations

The television network ABC is seeking the public’s backing as it faces simultaneous investigations from the Brendan Carr-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The media regulator has two pending inquiries into ABC – one focuses on the daytime talkshow The View, and the other is a broader challenge into whether the network should be able to renew licenses for the eight local television stations it owns.

The investigation into whether The View has violated a rule requiring equal time for political candidates is accepting public comments until 22 June, while the commission is accepting petitions to deny ABC’s licenses until 29 June.

Ads encouraging the public to voice support for the network to the FCC will begin airing on Monday during commercial breaks on The View, the network said. Targeted advertisements focused on the license renewal will also be shown in the eight local markets that have ABC-owned stations, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The ads, which will air on The View until 6 July, will also be published online.

The network decided to air the campaign as a way to ensure that the public is aware of the investigations, which are convoluted and have no clear time horizon. Some of ABC’s licenses were not scheduled to expire until 2031, and critics of Carr’s conduct suggest that it is “open season” on the network, which is regularly criticized by Donald Trump and has previously settled a lawsuit he filed against it for $16m.

The 20-second advertising spot begins with a clip from the late Barbara Walters, talking about why she founded the show in 1997. “I had this idea for a show: different women, different points of view,” she says.

Then, a narrator tells viewers: “The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 3o years. Now, the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Viewers, use your voice.”

The ad targeting viewers of ABC’s local station in New York encourages the city’s residents to “use your voice” in supporting the license renewal. “No one supports your community like ABC7 - sharing your stories, bringing us together. Channel 7 has proudly served you for more than 75 years ... Now the FCC is questioning our commitment to the community.”

In a statement, an FCC spokesperson dismissed ABC’s advertising campaign: “Disney wants the FCC to classify ‘The View’ as a ‘bona fide news program.’ And it has chosen to run a campaign of misinformation to make its case – misleading viewers about the law. That is a choice.”