FCC Orders Faster Review of ABC Station Licenses and Equal-Time Rules for Talk Shows

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered an accelerated review of ABC's local station broadcast licenses while investigating whether those stations violated rules against unlawful discrimination tied to the network's diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is also targeting late-night and daytime talk shows, including ABC's "The View," arguing they should not be exempt from rules requiring "bona fide news interview programs" to allot equal air time for competing political candidates.

" The network called the FCC's order "unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional" when submitting the license applications the following month.

The FCC has launched parallel investigations into NBC and CBS for their DEI practices. Carr has suggested his agency is not independent and that commissioners are governed by the president. The outcome of ABC's legal battle with the commission could set a precedent around press freedom and the role businesses play in supporting American democracy.