The Walt Disney Company’s second largest operating income segment, linear broadcast, has been the recipient of a shadow cast over its handling of guests. Both “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” suddenly find themselves under strict FCC scrutiny and wobbly ratings as a result!
What changed at ABC this year was not a wholesale retreat from politics so much as a legal recalibration. On January 21, the FCC said late-night and daytime talk shows could no longer assume that interviews with legally qualified political candidates automatically qualified for the longstanding “bona fide news” exemption to equal-time rules. The agency later opened an investigation into “The View” over James Talarico’s February 2 appearance, and Reuters reported that FCC Chair Brendan Carr had already drawn bipartisan criticism for earlier pressure on broadcasters over Jimmy Kimmel. In practical terms, ABC suddenly had a lot more regulatory risk attached to certain kinds of political bookings.
A Screenshot of Whoopi Goldberg Speaking on The View – YouTube, The View
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That is why the real shift appears to be in candidate bookings, not political discussion itself. After all, both “The View” and Jimmy Kimmel essentially run on leftward opinions rather than on candid conversations or good humor late night jokes.
“The View” was still loaded with political figures in January and early February, including Rep. Jim Clyburn, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Josh Shapiro, James Talarico, Gov. Andy Beshear, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. But after the FCC pressure intensified, the show’s official weekly lineups for February 23-27, March 2-6, March 9-13, and March 16-20 turned heavily toward entertainers and authors before Sen. Cory Booker returned on March 23. Even now, the next announced lineup suggests a safer, political-adjacent mix, with Rahm Emanuel and Don Lemon rather than active candidates.
Jimmy Kimmel on Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” shows a similar pattern, though the pullback is less dramatic. Early in 2026, the show still booked politically oriented or news-adjacent guests such as Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, Don Lemon, the “Pod Save America” hosts, and Gov. Gavin Newsom. But by mid-to-late March, and again in the March 30-April 3 schedule, Kimmel’s lineup had swung almost entirely to actors, comics, musicians, and entertainment promotion. That suggests ABC has not depoliticized the show so much as narrowed the kind of political guest it is willing to put on broadcast television while the FCC is watching.
The striking part is that neither show looks damaged in the ratings just yet, even if their numbers are distinctly unimpressive.
“The View” remains the top daytime network talk show, and it has stayed steady through the period when its guest mix became less overtly political. ABC said the show averaged 2.806 million viewers for the week of February 9, 2.709 million for the week of February 16, 2.713 million for the week of February 23, and 2.736 million for the week of March 16. Season to date through March 22, the network said “The View” was averaging 2.632 million viewers and was the only daytime talk show growing in both key women demos. That is not what a ratings slump looks like. However, it’s also not anywhere close to a leader in its timeslot. “The Price Is Right,” for example, pulls in almost double the number of viewers that “The View” touts.
Sunny Hostin issuing a legal notice on The View – YouTube, Page Six
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That said, the numbers suggest “The View” can afford to be cautious because its floor is still strong. In other words, it may not excel like Drew Carrey, but its ardent fans seem glued to the tube for Whoopi, Sunny and the crew.
At the same time, the show’s January data is a reminder that political confrontation remains one of its most potent ratings tools. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s January 7 appearance drew 2.75 million viewers, the show’s biggest audience in nine months, and helped lift the week of January 5 to 2.61 million viewers, up 59% from the prior week.
Kimmel’s ratings tell a similar story in late night. On a Live+7 basis, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 2.459 million viewers in January and 231,000 adults 18-49. In February, it improved to 2.58 million viewers and 260,000 adults 18-49, enough to lead the 11:35 p.m. hour in the demo (but still badly trails “Gutfeld!” on Fox News, which airs slightly earlier).
Jimmy Kimmel crying in his return monologue on ABC – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
By the week of March 15, Kimmel led the 11:35 slot in both total viewers and the demo, averaging 2.342 million viewers and 233,000 adults 18-49 on Live+3. ABC also said that for the week of March 9, the show averaged 1.91 million viewers on Live+Same Day, up 22% year over year, with season-to-date averages up 20% in both total viewers and adults 18-49. On top of that, the network said Kimmel’s nightly monologues were averaging more than 4.4 million YouTube views in 2026. The measurement windows vary, but the direction is the same: the show is holding up about where it was before Kimmel made disparaging remarks about Charlie Kirk following the national tragedy last year.
Again, Kimmel may not be pulling impressive numbers, and he may be defeated every night by a cable news channel… but he has a dedicated fanbase that may stick with him no matter what. And they’re hungry for political talk, even as the FCC pressures Disney to drop preferential treatment of candidates on late night and on daytime talk shows.
The hosts of The View talk with Anthony Weiner – YouTube, The View
The bigger danger for ABC is not immediate audience erosion. It is a loss of cultural leverage. When “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” book fewer high-risk candidates, they reduce the chances of producing the kind of viral, agenda-setting interview that can dominate a news cycle. That may make legal sense under FCC pressure, but it also makes broadcast television a little less central to political culture. So far, though, viewers are not punishing ABC for that tradeoff. But they’re also not rewarding them with great viewership either.
The evidence to date suggests both shows have preserved their core audience while quietly redefining what success might look like. Yes, they’re losing to “The Price Is Right” and the days of Johnny Carson and Jay Leno ratings are long gone, but surviving is thriving for an ABC wary of the FCC.
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