Media

ABC accuses FCC of violating its free speech

by Dominick Mastrangelo - 05/08/26 1:06 PM ET

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by Dominick Mastrangelo - 05/08/26 1:06 PM ET

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ABC is accusing President Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of violating its First Amendment rights as FCC Chair Brendan Carr ramps up scrutiny of the Disney-owned outlet over the content it broadcasts.

In a Friday filing with the FCC, which was first reported by The New York Times, ABC centers its criticism on a regulatory complaint about the network’s popular daytime table talk program, “The View.”

Carr has questioned whether shows such as “The View” are “bona fide news programs,” which are granted certain First Amendment protections by Congress.

ABC said in its filing that Carr’s scrutiny of its programming is “unprecedented, beyond the Commission’s authority, and counterproductive to the Commission’s stated goal of

encouraging free speech and open political discussion.”

The FCC has separately been investigating ABC and Disney over corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and last month it called several local stations Disney owns and operates in large markets in for early license renewal.

Carr has repeatedly suggested that broadcasters such as ABC, which use the public airwaves, must put forth programming that serves the “public interest” or run the risk of having their licenses revoked.

The commission’s recall for early license renewal came just a day after the president called for the firing of ABC late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel over jokes he made about the first lady.

The department’s scrutiny of ABC, the network argued, “chill[s] critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly.”

“Indeed, the marketplace of ideas has never been more robust, and people can hear virtually any brand of political commentary by listening to a podcast, watching cable, scrolling social media, or streaming on a phone, computer or connected TV,” the Disney-owned company said. “The free flow of ideas flourishes on these non-broadcast platforms even though the equal opportunities rule does not apply there.”

Trump and his allies have a long history of sparring with ABC, which agreed to pay the president $15 million in 2024 to settle a defamation lawsuit he brought against the company.

The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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