Residents of Jackson County, Alabama will be moving back to the Designated Market Area (DMA) of Huntsville after being temporarily reassigned to the DMA of Chattanooga, Tennessee by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) through market analytics firm Nielsen.

Television stations across North Alabama were informed Monday that Jackson County residents will be transferred back to the Huntsville DMA starting Oct. 3, 2024, due to a Nielsen DMA overhaul.

Rep. Dale Strong announced the reinstatement this week after sounding the alarm about the change last year, citing concerns about emergency preparedness and state-specific news.

“The vast majority of Jackson County residents rely on Huntsville television stations for severe weather coverage and state-specific news, and I am proud to advocate for the thousands of Jackson County residents who want to continue receiving their local news from North Alabama,” Rep. Strong (R-Monrovia) wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel in November.

Rep. Strong formally requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reverse this decision in the interest of public safety, and also supported a market change petition filed with the FCC by the Jackson County, Alabama and Scottsboro Power Commission.

Thread 🧵: Just wanted to let you know that Jackson County will be reassigned to the Huntsville DMA (Designated Market Area) in Fall 2024.

— Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) May 6, 2024

“As a legislator representing more than 52,000 Jackson County residents and a lifelong emergency medical technician, I consider public safety to be my number one priority. I am hopeful that the reversal of this ruling will ensure that Jackson County residents receive the timely and relevant local news coverage their community deserves,” Strong wrote.

When the policy change was made public, Jackson County officials breathed a sigh of relief and expressed great gratitude for Rep. Strong's role in keeping Alabamians in the Alabama media market.

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“As a former EMA Director, I know firsthand how important access to severe weather coverage is to our community. I am proud to represent our city and work with Congressman Strong and Jackson County leaders to get this decision right. Scottsboro residents deserve the most accurate news coverage, and returning to the Huntsville viewing market will ensure that,” said Scottsboro Mayor Jim McAmee.

Jackson County is scheduled to be reapportioned on Oct. 3, 2024.

“I want to thank Congressman Strong, the Alabama delegation, the Huntsville TV station and several Jackson County organizations for their work on this issue,” said Jackson County Commission Chairman Bill Nance.

“This is great news for Jackson County residents who have relied on Huntsville's television stations for decades to provide reliable local coverage. I'm proud that county residents will once again have access to the severe weather and local news coverage they deserve,” Nance said.

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson