• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 8 hours ago

In an unusual on-air TV advertising/marketing effort, Walt Disney is targeting the Federal Communications Commission and its efforts to go after ABC Television Stations because of its programming.

The ad campaign urges viewers to contact the FCC by scanning a code linking to the agency’s public comment page. One Wednesday report now says the FCC has been "flooded" with 38,000 public comments. The ABC campaign started this week.

It has called the FCC’s efforts “unprecedented.” The FCC has not declined to renew a TV license since the early 1980s.

Specifically, the FCC is targeting Disney in two different areas: Its daytime show, “The View,” for its efforts in featuring specific political guests on its shows, and an overall review of its eight owned ABC TV stations when it comes to its broadcast licenses.

The FCC is focused on “The View” in particular, because it is a TV news show where equal-time provisions can be determined.

The FCC also believes ABC can be scrutinized for this and be subject to a rare move -- stripping its TV stations of its broadcast license.

For decades, talk shows like “The View” have had an exemption when it comes to political candidates -- versus that of straight-ahead TV news shows. Lots of other talk shows also have had it in the past, including “Today,” “Access Hollywood” and the Howard Stern radio show.

For many analysts, this is like an alarm bell ringing out loud and clear.

Anna Gomez, the only Democratic FCC commissioner, spelled this out fairly clearly -- with some key blunt words:

"Disney and its ABC stations are the latest victims of this administration's campaign of censorship and control.”

But what about other TV network and radio groups? Actions against conservative-favored outlets like Fox Corporation, Sinclair Inc. or Salem Media Group?

Research isn’t clear when it comes to a breakdown of guest political candidates appearing on talk or other news-related TV programming, say registered Republican party members.

There have been complaints filed against specific stations in the past -- such as one local Fox affiliate in Philadelphia. That Fox complaint was based on the network's promotion of false claims about the 2020 election, which led to its $787.5 million Dominion Voting Systems settlement.

The previous FCC chairwoman ruled against that, and the current FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, did not re-open that case. But he did re-open — three petitions from a group aligned with President Trump targeting ABC, CBS, and NBC.

One might imagine that if you are going to single out one TV show, offer up comparison research and more detailed data.

And perhaps even advertise that on TV somehow and let the U.S. news viewers make their own decision.