Media Regulation and FCC

After James Talarico’s Feb. 2 appearance on ABC’s The View, multiple non‑Disney ABC affiliates in at least 18 Texas markets quietly filed equal‑time notices with the FCC — a move that could allow his Democratic primary rival Rep. Jasmine Crockett to request matching airtime; the filings, made by stations owned by groups such as TEGNA, Sinclair and Gray (while Disney‑owned Houston KTRK did not file), were confirmed by an FCC insider as public and align with Chairman Brendan Carr’s stepped‑up enforcement of equal‑opportunity rules. Separately, late‑night host Stephen Colbert has accused CBS of blocking an on‑air interview with Talarico, highlighting broader disputes over candidate access to broadcast platforms.