RTDNA, Media Groups Say Equal-Time Shift Could Chill Coverage.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press are urging the Federal Communications Commission to maintain its longstanding broad interpretation of the equal-time rule’s news exemptions, warning a narrower approach could chill political coverage and raise serious First Amendment concerns across radio and TV.

The issue has come into the spotlight the Media Bureau issued a public notice in January suggesting late night show and programs like ABC-TV’s “The View” don’t automatically qualify as a “bona fide news interview” programs exempt from equal opportunities requirements under the Communications Act. That led to an FCC investigation into “The View” after Texas Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the daytime talk show.

RTDNA and the Reporters Committee are backing ABC’s position that candidate interviews on “The View” qualify for the FCC’s bona fide news interview exemption. They argue the FCC has had a longstanding precedent to use a broad definition of what is eligible for that classification.

“The history of the equal time rule underscores how a narrow interpretation of the bona fide news exemptions can stifle political news coverage,” they say. The groups say the Commission should “continue to defer to the news judgment of licensees” and maintain a broad interpretation of the statutory news exemptions that have governed political coverage for decades.

“The structure of the exemption would change from one of deference to the broadcasters’ news judgment to one of broad deference to the FCC’s news judgment,” the filing says, warning that such an approach “would pose serious concerns” under the First Amendment. “Any other constitutional standard would permit the FCC to skew news coverage to the benefit of state actors,” they add.

The filing points out the FCC gradually expanded the exemption beyond traditional Sunday public-affairs programs to include shows like “The Howard Stern Show” on radio, and television shows such as “Donahue,” “Jerry Springer,” and “Politically Incorrect.” RTDNA and the Reporter’s Committee position that as evidence that the Commission has consistently recognized nontraditional interview programs as qualifying for the exemption.

The filing also argues a restrictive interpretation would create practical problems for political coverage. RTDNA points to crowded 2026 election contests in states including California and Texas, noting that requiring programs to provide equal time to every candidate after interviewing a single contender would be unworkable and could discourage broadcasters from covering campaigns altogether.

The filing comes in proceeding (MB Docket 26-124) in which ABC-owned KTRK-TV Houston has formally requested the FCC rule that “The View” meets the news qualifications. A separate coalition of journalism, free speech and public-interest organizations believe the case extends well beyond ABC or “The View” and could have broader implications for editorial independence across broadcasting.

More than a dozen groups including the National Association of Black Journalists, National Press Club, and MMTC also caution any attempt to narrow the exemption would require revisiting decades of FCC precedent. “It is the full Commission — not the Media Bureau alone — that can change this precedent, and only through a transparent and deliberative process,” they write in a joint filing.

The advocacy group Free Press also accuses the Commission of selectively targeting ABC and argues that the actions are part of a broader campaign against media organizations that have drawn criticism from President Trump. Its filing contends the Chair Brendan Carr’s actions have been “capricious, selective, and corrupt” and amount to an effort to chill protected speech.

Yet the FCC has its supporters. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, and National Republican Congressional Committee are among them, telling the FCC they think “The View” shouldn’t get an equal time exemption. They say the show has a “deep and deliberate ideological slant” with 27 liberal guests for every one conservative. “It is a political operation with a broadcast license,” they say.