Hot Wheels is an American animated television series broadcast on ABC from 1969 to 1971, under the primary sponsorship of Mattel Toys.
[2] The show was criticized by the Federal Communications Commission, which considered it a half-hour commercial for toy cars.
ABC contested the charge, saying that there was no prior commitment to Mattel, and that Hot Wheels cars were never advertised during the program.
The network was backed up by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show remained on the ABC schedule for two seasons.
[3] The FCC obliged by ordering stations to log part of the airings as advertising time.