Executives at Disney and ABC News reportedly grew tired of The View’s constant focus on politics, especially when it comes to bashing former President Trump and Republicans. According to The Daily Beast, Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic recently met with The View’s hosts and executive producer Brian Teta. They asked the hosts to talk less about politics and return to the show’s original purpose as a talk show for women.
One source told The Daily Beast that Karamehmedovic pointed out how episodes with celebrity guests got higher ratings. He encouraged the hosts to do more of that kind of coverage in the future. The Daily Beast reported:
Iger confirmed he supported the show—but he also reaffirmed that the show needed to tone down its political rhetoric, the sources said.
Another source familiar with the matter said ABC will “constantly have conversations with talent based on viewer feedback, and this instance was no different,” suggesting the show’s viewers have indicated that they want the show to be less political.
Even though Iger and Karamehmedovic did not force the hosts to make changes, their suggestion reportedly upset some of the hosts. Ana Navarro, one of the co-hosts, told the executives that their audience tunes in for political opinions. She reportedly said, “This is what our audience wants. Isn’t it going to look kind of bad if we suddenly stop talking about politics?”
Other hosts thought the suggestions were “silly” and said they would keep doing what they’ve always done. During Disney’s recent Upfront presentation to advertisers, Navarro reportedly confronted Iger about the suggestion. According to sources, Navarro thanked Iger for letting the hosts keep doing their jobs during a politically tense time. Iger said he supported the show, but also reminded them that the show needed to cut back on political talk.
A source familiar with the situation said ABC often talks to its talent based on what viewers are saying, and this was no different. This suggests that some viewers want The View to be less political.
This push from executives came just months after The View’s hosts had to issue multiple legal notes for making wildly exaggerated and often time false statements about Trump’s cabinet picks on air. It also followed news that CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, were trying to settle with President Trump after a controversial 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris last year.
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Karina Smitt
I'm not as much of a "CoMiCs NeEd MoAr DiVeRsItY & iNcLuSiOn" advocate as my girlfriend often is, but we both love funny books, crispy bacon, straight bourbon and hip hop. Add yet, we never vote the same, so we cancel each other out... and that works perfectly in my book!
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