ABC has filed a legal motion with the Federal Communications Commission accusing the agency of violating the network's First Amendment rights through its investigation of the daytime talk show "The View."

In the filing submitted Thursday by KTRK-TV, ABC's Houston-based station, the network argued that the FCC's actions "threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech." The motion represents the most aggressive stance taken by a television network against the current administration's regulatory approach.

The dispute centers on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's scrutiny of "The View" and questions about whether the show should be exempt from the agency's equal-time rules. The FCC has been examining the show's content and its classification under broadcasting regulations.

ABC's filing asks the commission to "affirm its long-standing approach to the bona fide news interview exemption" for the talk show. The network claims the FCC is making "major shifts in policy and practice" that could have broader implications for broadcast content.

The legal challenge highlights tensions between media companies and federal regulators over content oversight and free speech protections. ABC argues that the investigation creates a chilling effect on protected speech that extends beyond "The View" to other programming.