ABC has a point, and the FCC isn’t going to like hearing it. In a recent filing, ABC’s lawyers pushed back against regulatory scrutiny by highlighting something that’s been clear: talk radio gets a pass that television isn’t getting here.
The network’s argument centers on The View and its willingness to host Democratic candidates. Critics say that violates fairness expectations, since the show doesn’t always extend equal time to Republican guests. Meanwhile, syndicated talk radio hosts do something remarkably similar every single day, and almost nobody bats an eye.
ABC’s lawyers didn’t mince words in their filing. “The Commission has trained its attention on daytime and late-night television — programs perceived as unfriendly to the current administration — while leaving untouched the vast landscape of talk radio, where candidates routinely appear without their opponents,” the filing states. “A rule pressed against one set of speakers and quietly suspended for another, along lines that track the administration’s political preferences, is not evenhanded regulation.”
That’s not a stretch. That’s an accurate description of how this has played out.
The “Bona Fide News” Excuse Doesn’t Hold Up
Talk radio’s defense usually goes something like this: their candidate interviews qualify as legitimate news programming, so they’re exempt from the equal-time rule altogether. Technically, that’s true under FCC regulations. Practically, it’s often nonsense.
Plenty of nationally syndicated shows haven’t just interviewed candidates — they’ve campaigned for them. Some hosts have turned entire segments into on-air rallies, complete with fundraising pitches and get-out-the-vote messaging.
That’s not journalism. That’s advocacy dressed up in a press badge, and everyone in the industry knows it.
Meanwhile, a daytime talk show books a guest and suddenly faces a filing at the FCC. The inconsistency isn’t subtle, and it’s not accidental either. It tracks almost perfectly with which side of the aisle benefits from each format’s political leanings.
Selective Enforcement Undermines the FCC’s Credibility
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if the FCC actually wants to police political balance in broadcasting, it needs to apply that standard evenly. Otherwise, the agency isn’t regulating content — it’s picking winners.
Radio has operated for decades under the assumption that its news/talk format shields it from the same scrutiny broadcast television faces. That assumption has held up mostly because nobody with enough leverage has challenged it directly. ABC just did, and the network chose its moment carefully, given how politically charged the current regulatory environment has become.
None of this means The View should get a total pass, either. Fairness cuts both ways, and any network booking one-sided political guests should expect questions about balance. But singling out television while radio hosts run virtual campaign events undercuts the FCC’s ability to claim it’s enforcing anything close to a consistent standard.
Selective enforcement erodes trust, and it invites exactly the kind of legal pushback ABC just delivered. Once one network calls out the double standard publicly, others will likely follow, especially if the FCC doesn’t adjust its approach.
Whether the FCC actually sees it this way remains to be seen. Regulatory bodies don’t love admitting inconsistency, particularly when political optics are involved. Still, ABC’s filing puts a spotlight on something the industry has whispered about for years, and that alone makes it worth paying attention to.
Talk radio has enjoyed a comfortable exemption for a long time. If the FCC wants to keep drawing lines around political content, it’s going to need better reasons than the ones it’s offered so far.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.