There is a lot of stress behind the scenes at ABC’s famous daytime talk show “The View.” The hosts are said to be being told to stop criticising President Donald Trump so much. According to sources, this request comes at a time when ABC is also laying off a lot of people, which makes things even more tense and stressful.
Sources indicate that Brian Teta, the show’s executive producer, recently told co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro to be more careful when talking about Trump, especially as his inauguration as the 47th president gets closer. It looks that the network is reconsidering how it covers politics, probably because of decisions made by the company as a whole.
Even though “The View” has kept its high numbers, with 2.6 million viewers in the previous month, morale behind the scenes has dropped a lot. As part of larger budget cuts, ABC has reportedly let go of at least nine employees, including long-time producers Jamie Hammer and Audrey Jones. Staff members say they are worried and don’t know what to expect. One source said the mood was dismal, and many are afraid that further cuts are on the way.
There are not just political tensions, but also practical ones. After ABC moved the production of “The View” to its new Hudson Square headquarters in downtown Manhattan, the co-hosts have had to share studio space with “The Tamron Hall Show.” There has been some trouble with scheduling and dressing room space since this new arrangement, especially when famous guests are involved. One source said that the people who work on “The View” think that the network should focus on their show, not Hall’s.
Even if there is some irritation, other sources suggest that the two production teams are doing their best to work together under the new situation. Still, it’s clear that the transfer has been hard on the personnel. Many of them are having trouble with small office spaces, not having their own workplaces, and long commutes because of high traffic near the Holland Tunnel. A network spokeswoman defended the new structure, calling it attractive and well-equipped, but staff members are still unhappy.
The hosts of “The View” seem to be more careful about how they talk about Trump now that their jobs are not assured. Sara Haines said lately that she sometimes feels separated from the audience, especially because most of the panel doesn’t favour Trump. Alyssa Farah Griffin, who used to work for Trump and now supports Kamala Harris, also said that the panel needed to be more open to hearing conservative views. This led to a heated argument with Whoopi Goldberg.
At this moment, the program is at a really important juncture. Will it keep its loud style, or will ABC’s modifications make it more calm? As things stand, the actual drama may not just be what spectators see on screen; it’s also happening behind the scenes.
