A yearslong struggle for some counties, dubbed "orphan counties," to be put in Designated Market Areas (DMAs) in Alabama continues, with key players in the fight unclear on what to do. Those counties receive television signals from markets out-of-state.
Lawmakers who have tried to correct the problem for over 10 years say an out-of-state DMA could put citizens in danger and block them from Alabama news. For instance, news stations in Atlanta and Tupelo, Miss. are less interested in Alabama politics and current events and are not motivated to travel over an hour to cover breaking news stories in an area with few viewers.
The counties are Cleburne and Randolph Counties in the Atlanta DMA; Lamar County in the Columbus-Tupelo, Miss. DMA; Choctaw and Sumter Counties in the Meridian, Miss. DMA; and Barbour, Chambers, Lee and Russell Counties, in the Columbus, Ga. DMA. Fortunately, the Columbus, Ga. DMA is widely covered by the Montgomery market, so citizens there do not feel "left out," according to lawmakers.
However, people in Cleburne and Randolph Counties have to rely on other sources of news coverage, especially during severe weather.
State Rep. Bob Fincher (R-Woodland) said because weather systems generally travel from west to east in Alabama, by the time Atlanta begins severe weather coverage, residents have little time to prepare.
"In our particular situation here in Alabama, there's a danger, a weather danger, because our storms generally approach from the west," Fincher told 1819 News. "We get our television from Atlanta and a storm that might be very close to Eastern Alabama might not even be on the radar good in Atlanta. So, there's a delayed warning that could put lives in danger."
"Also, when it comes election time, people in the orphan counties are receiving advertisements for candidates that they will not even be able to vote for," he added. "Their local stations over in Georgia do not cover candidates in Randolph County or any of those counties along that eastern tier of Alabama. So, you don't know who you're voting for, you don't see them on television and see what they do, and it makes for a bad situation as far as being civic-minded, trying to vote knowledgeably."
In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled television stations could establish a waiver of rights to cover certain areas if both parties agreed. However, some stations are reluctant to give up an area due to viewership loss.
Carson Clark, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Hayleyville), said Aderholt's office has been working as an intermediary between the FCC and the TV stations in Birmingham and Columbus, Miss. to make a change for Lamar County.
"It's just natural that Columbus doesn't want to give up 14,000 viewers," Clark said.
Fincher said after the FCC ruling, he and others met with station managers in Birmingham who were willing to take on Randolph and Cleburne Counties. However, nothing changed.
"It really is a federal issue," Fincher said. "This was something that U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) worked on for years. I think he really tried to do something with the orphan counties, but just couldn't do it."
Clark explained the issue began when people used satellites. In Lamar County, it was easier to pick up stations out of Mississippi, so more people watched that market. When the FCC began measuring audiences, they placed Lamar County in the Columbus market because of the viewership.
He said Lamar County could petition for a market modification. However, he said the process is complicated and involves collecting marketing data. Aderholt's office has reached out to the University of Alabama to take on the matter as a project.
Fincher said he hopes the federal government steps in to correct the issue.
"It just makes perfect sense that people that live in a certain state should have their state's television coverage," Fincher said. "That way they would be informed citizens of what was going on in their state."
Thanks to technology, Fincher said citizens with internet access can access Birmingham television stations online or on smart TV apps. However, he said much of his district struggles with broadband internet access.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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