Jimmy Kimmel and The View Change Guests as FCC Oversight Looms Large for Disney

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Disney’s traditional TV networks, which are a major source of profit for the company, are facing problems due to controversies surrounding their shows. Both “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” are now being investigated by the FCC and are seeing a drop in viewership.

This year, ABC didn’t stop covering politics, but it had to adjust how it did so due to new legal interpretations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated that simply interviewing political candidates wouldn’t automatically qualify shows like talk shows for an exemption from rules requiring equal airtime for all candidates. The FCC then investigated an appearance on “The View” and reports surfaced that the FCC Chairman had previously faced criticism for pressuring broadcasters regarding Jimmy Kimmel. Essentially, ABC now faces greater legal risk when booking certain political guests.

The significant change seems to be in how candidates are booked as guests, rather than in the political discussions themselves. Shows like “The View” and Jimmy Kimmel’s show primarily feature guests who share left-leaning viewpoints, not genuine conversations or funny jokes.

Throughout January and early February, “The View” featured many politicians as guests, including Congressman Jim Clyburn, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Governor Josh Shapiro, James Talarico, Governor Andy Beshear, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. However, after facing increased scrutiny, the show began prioritizing entertainers and authors in its lineups from February 23rd through March 20th. Senator Cory Booker did appear on March 23rd, and upcoming schedules now seem to focus on public figures connected to politics – like Rahm Emanuel and Don Lemon – rather than active political candidates.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” followed a similar trend, although the change was less noticeable. In early 2026, the show still featured guests involved in politics or current events, like Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, Don Lemon, the hosts of “Pod Save America,” and Governor Gavin Newsom. However, by mid-to-late March, and again from March 30th to April 3rd, Kimmel primarily hosted actors, comedians, musicians, and people promoting entertainment. This indicates that ABC hasn’t eliminated politics from the show entirely, but rather limited the types of political guests it features, likely due to FCC oversight.

Surprisingly, both shows are still holding steady in the ratings, despite not having impressive numbers so far.

“The View” continues to be the most-watched daytime talk show on network television, maintaining consistent viewership even as it’s featured fewer overtly political guests. ABC reported average weekly viewership of around 2.8 million between February 9th and March 16th. Through March 22nd, the show averaged 2.632 million viewers for the season, and it was the only daytime talk show seeing growth among key female demographics – a clear sign it isn’t experiencing a ratings decline. However, while performing well, “The View” doesn’t lead in overall viewership compared to other shows in its time slot; “The Price Is Right,” for instance, consistently attracts nearly twice as many viewers.

Despite this, the show’s ratings indicate “The View” is in a stable position. It might not be a breakout hit like “The Drew Carey Show,” but its dedicated audience consistently tunes in to watch Whoopi, Sunny, and the rest of the hosts.

The show’s ratings in January demonstrate that controversial political debates continue to attract a large audience. For example, an appearance by Marjorie Taylor Greene on January 7th brought in 2.75 million viewers – the show’s largest audience in nine months. This helped boost the entire week of January 5th to 2.61 million viewers, a 59% increase from the week before.

Jimmy Kimmel’s show also performed well in late night. In January, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” averaged 2.46 million viewers, including 231,000 adults aged 18-49. Those numbers rose slightly in February to 2.58 million viewers and 260,000 in the 18-49 age group, making it the most-watched show in its timeslot (11:35 p.m.). However, it still gets significantly fewer viewers than “Gutfeld!” on Fox News, which airs a bit earlier.

By the week of March 15th, Jimmy Kimmel’s show was performing best in its timeslot, attracting an average of 2.34 million viewers and 233,000 adults aged 18-49 (based on Live+3 data). ABC reported that the show gained 22% more viewers compared to the same week last year, averaging 1.91 million on Live+Same Day viewing. Season-to-date, viewership is up 20% overall and among adults 18-49. Additionally, Kimmel’s nightly opening monologues are averaging over 4.4 million views on YouTube. While data is collected over different periods, the show’s performance remains consistent with pre-controversy levels, following comments made about Charlie Kirk after last year’s tragic event.

Even though Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings aren’t always high and he often loses to cable news in viewership, he still has a loyal audience. This fanbase continues to tune in for his political commentary, despite recent pressure on Disney from the FCC to ensure fairness in how candidates are treated on talk shows.

What worries me about ABC isn’t a sudden drop in ratings, but something more subtle: a shrinking influence on our national conversation. Shows like “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” seem to be playing it safer with their guests, avoiding those potentially controversial figures who could spark a huge moment. While that might be smart from a legal standpoint, given the FCC scrutiny, it does make broadcast TV feel less essential to our political discussions. The interesting thing is, viewers haven’t exactly fled, but they aren’t exactly tuning in more either. It’s a quiet shift, but I think it’s a significant one for the network’s long-term position.

Recent data indicates both shows have maintained their loyal viewers while subtly changing how we measure success. While they don’t achieve the ratings of shows like “The Price Is Right” or the classic eras of Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, simply continuing to exist is a win for ABC, especially considering FCC regulations.

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2026-03-31 01:57