Disney has officially petitioned the FCC to classify "The View" as a "bona fide news interview program," which is a sentence I had to read three times because I was convinced it was satire. It is not. The company that brought us Mickey Mouse is asking the federal government — with a straight face — to certify that the show where Joy Behar calls half the country fascists is journalism.
I'll wait while you pick yourself up off the floor.
Here's what's actually going on, and it's more cynical than it sounds. As reported by Breitbart and NewsBusters, this "bona fide news" classification would give "The View" an equal-time exemption under FCC rules. That means the show could host political candidates during election season without triggering requirements to give opposing candidates equal airtime. In other words, Disney wants "The View" to be able to campaign for Democrats on air without any obligation to let Republicans respond.
The FCC Chairman has already responded to Disney's request, and the whole thing is still developing as of May 22-23. But let's take a moment to appreciate the sheer audacity of what Disney is asking for here.
This is the same show where Whoopi Goldberg had to be suspended for saying the Holocaust wasn't about race. The same show where Sunny Hostin compared white Republican women to cockroaches. The same show where the hosts have collectively had more unhinged meltdowns than a toddler in a candy aisle. And Disney wants the United States government to stamp "NEWS" on it.
Let's be clear about what "bona fide news interview program" means under FCC regulations. It's a classification designed for legitimate news programming — shows like "Meet the Press" or "Face the Nation" that at least pretend to offer balanced coverage. The equal-time exemption exists so that real journalists can interview candidates without turning every network into an accounting nightmare of exactly calibrated airtime.
"The View" is not that. "The View" is a show where five women yell at each other about politics between segments about celebrity gossip and cooking tips. It is, at best, a daytime talk show. At worst, it's a Democratic Super PAC with a studio audience.
But Disney isn't stupid. They know exactly what they're doing. If "The View" gets this classification, it becomes a free campaign platform for every Democratic candidate in America. Kamala Harris can sit on that couch and get softball questions for an hour while Republican candidates get nothing. No equal time. No response. Just pure, unfiltered propaganda wearing a "news" costume.
The FCC should laugh this petition out of the building. You don't get to spend years being the most nakedly partisan show on television and then ask the government to certify you as objective news programming. That's not how any of this works.
But this is Disney we're talking about — the same company that turned Star Wars into a lecture series and wondered why nobody was buying tickets. Shame isn't really in their vocabulary.
Disney asking the government to call "The View" news is like a fast food joint petitioning the FDA to classify its burgers as health food. You can file the paperwork, but everyone knows what you're really serving.
