Huntsville Leader

Congressman Dale W. Strong (AL-05) has announced that Jackson County will be reassigned to the Huntsville DMA (Designated Market Area) in the fall of 2024. This decision comes after an overwhelming majority of Jackson County residents expressed their reliance on Huntsville television stations for severe weather coverage and state-specific news.

Strong said, “I am proud to advocate for the thousands of Jackson County residents who wanted to continue receiving local news from North Alabama.”

Previously, Jackson County was reassigned to the Chattanooga, Tenn., DMA. Congressman Strong had formally requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reverse this decision in the interest of public safety. He also supported market modification petitions to the FCC submitted by Jackson County, Alabama, and the Scottsboro Electric Power Board.

“As the member of Congress representing more than 52,000 Jackson County residents and a lifelong first responder, I view public safety as a top priority. I am hopeful that this reversal will give Jackson County residents the timely and relevant local news coverage their community deserves,” said Strong.

The Nielsen DMA review based on viewing shares indicates that Jackson County will be reassigned to Huntsville in the 2024-25 TV season, which starts on October 3, 2024. Strong sees this announcement as a significant victory for the people of Jackson County.

Scottsboro Mayor Jim McCamy added his support stating, “As a former EMA director, I know firsthand how vital access to severe weather coverage is for our community. I was proud to partner with Congressman Strong and Jackson County leadership on behalf of the city to correct this decision. Scottsboro residents deserve nothing short of the most accurate news coverage, and returning to the Huntsville viewing market accomplishes this.”

Jackson County Commission Chairman Bill Nance also expressed gratitude towards those involved in making this change possible. He said, “Our thanks go out to Congressman Strong, the Alabama Delegation, Huntsville TV Stations, and several entities in Jackson County for their hard work on this issue. This is great news for the residents in Jackson County who have relied on Huntsville TV stations for decades to provide reliable community coverage. We are proud that county residents will once again have access to the severe weather and local news coverage they deserve.”