Jackson County, located in the extreme northeastern corner of Alabama, will soon return to the Huntsville TV market thanks in part to the efforts of U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia).
Strong was "elated" Monday when he announced that Jackson County will rejoin the Huntsville designated market area DMA this fall. The Federal Communications Commission had reassigned the county to the Chattanooga DMA based on Nielsen data. Strong requested the reversal for public safety reasons.
"An overwhelming majority of Jackson County residents rely 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 Alabamians who wanted to continue receiving local news from North Alabama."
He continued, "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."
Strong said the DMA reassignment, scheduled for this October, was "a major win for the people of Jackson County." Scottsboro Mayor Jim McCamy also praised the FCC's decision.
"As a former EMA director, I know firsthand how vital access to severe weather coverage is for our community," McCamy said. "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 thanks Strong and others for their work on the issue.
"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," he said. "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."
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