Overview
- Reports say the investigation was prompted by Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s appearance, and Disney did not file an equal-time notice for the segment.
- In January, the FCC signaled that interview portions of daytime and late-night talk shows likely do not qualify for the statutory ‘bona fide’ news exemption under Section 315.
- If the rule is applied to the program, ABC could be required to offer comparable airtime to all legally qualified candidates in the Texas race, including Republicans and Democrat Ahmad Hassan.
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has defended the enforcement push and noted the requirement applies to licensed over-the-air broadcasters, not cable, streaming, or podcasts.
- Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the action as government intimidation; no findings or remedial orders have been announced and the review remains ongoing ahead of the March 3 Texas primary.