Comedian Jimmy Kimmel's interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico won't air on broadcast television amid the ABC network's high-stakes skirmish with the Federal Communications Commission.

Kimmel, during his Wednesday night monologue, said his talk with the 37-year-old Texas Democrat instead would stream on his show's YouTube channel — depriving ABC viewers and TV stations of a potentially newsworthy interview with Talarico, who has been surging in the polls.

The Texas race is shaping up as a key contest in deciding control of the U.S. Senate in the midterm elections. Talarico is running against Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Kimmel alluded to the Walt Disney Co. network's ongoing dispute with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr as the reason for the switch. This spring, Carr's Media Bureau ordered ABC to submit to an early review of its TV station licenses for its eight owned stations. The FCC launched the review a day after Trump demanded that Disney fire Kimmel after first lady Melania Trump became upset over a joke the comedian told on his program, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

ABC has since sued the FCC, alleging Trump's disdain for Kimmel and other ABC programs has fueled its deep scrutiny of the network and its editorial decisions, in violation of its First Amendment rights.

Kimmel pointed to the "unusual circumstances" in his monologue.

"For the whole 20-plus years of our show, in fact, I've been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem at all, just like (David) Letterman did, (Jay) Leno did, Arsenio (Hall), etc. etc.," Kimmel said. "I've interviewed a lot of political candidates — from Hilary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump."

But, Kimmel said, amid the current climate, airing the Talarico interview on public airwaves carried too much risk.

"Out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who would have to deal with this nonsense," the ABC interview, which was scheduled for Thursday, instead would play on YouTube, he said.

ABC declined to comment. An FCC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The controversy comes nearly one year after a major dust-up that led ABC to temporarily bench Kimmel for comments on his show about the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel's remarks were awkwardly worded and seemed to suggest that Kirk's alleged killer was part of Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement, which riled conservative activists who then demanded Kimmel's ouster.

Carr quickly weighed in, seemingly threatening Disney by saying the Burbank, California, company needed to punish Kimmel.

Two station groups, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, temporarily removed Kimmel's show. Amid a backlash from viewers, ABC eventually stood by the comedian, returning him to his perch the following week.

The Disney-owned station licenses were not set to expire for several years when the FCC in April ordered Disney to defend its stewardship of the outlets. The license for Disney's KABC-TV Channel 7 in Los Angeles extends to 2030 but is now being challenged.

The Burbank giant has asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order and injunction to halt the FCC's early station review.

ABC also is defending against an FCC probe into whether its daytime talk show, "The View," should be entitled to an exemption from the so-called equal-time rule for political candidates who appear as guests. The broadcast regulation rule requires TV and radio broadcasters to offer equal time to all legally qualified opposing political candidates.

The dispute surfaced after the hosts of "The View" interviewed Talarico.

Carr has challenged the status of "The View," arguing that the topical chat show is not a bona fide news program and, thus, should not be entitled to the exemption.

The same issue tripped up former CBS late night comedian Stephen Colbert, who interviewed Talarico in February — before his program, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," was canceled.

At the time, Colbert told viewers CBS lawyers forbid him from airing a Talarico interview on his program because of the FCC's increased interest in exemptions to the equal-time rule, an allegation that CBS disputed. Colbert's interview with Talarico played on the program's YouTube channel, where it was watched more than 9.5 million times.

The flap followed Carr's call for stronger enforcement of the equal-time rule.

Kimmel's comments Wednesday mark the second time this year that "a late-night host has disclosed they had to bury an interview because of FCC intimidation," the FCC's lone Democrat, Anna M. Gomez, said in a statement.

"No host, local affiliate, or network should have to weigh federal retaliation before booking a guest for a newsworthy interview," Gomez said.

The FCC has said it was investigating ABC stations over whether Disney's diversity and inclusion policies are in violation of the Communications Act of 1934 and the agency's rules, including its "prohibition on unlawful discrimination."

Last week, the FCC asked a federal judge in Washington to dismiss ABC's First Amendment lawsuit, calling Disney's challenge to the early license review "meritless" because the commission hasn't made a decision on whether to escalate the matter or rescind Disney's station licenses.

Kimmel ended his comments Wednesday by saying he was grateful for the YouTube channel "because in the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do until November."

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