dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðæt pˈiəɹɪəd, kˈeɪbəl sˈɪstəmz ɪnðɪ ˈɛɹiə kəntˈɪnjuːd tə kˈæɹi dˈʌbəljˌuːtˈaɪ ænd ðoʊz ɔnðɪ ˌæləbˈæmə sˈaɪd ʌvðə mˈɑːɹkɪt bɪɡˈæn tʊ ɪmpˈoːɹt dˌʌbəljˌuːsˌiːˌɛftˈiːtˌiːvˈiː fɹʌm tˈʌskɐlˌuːsə, ˌæləbˈæmə wɛn ɪt bɪkˌeɪm ɐ sˈæɾəlˌaɪt ʌv ˌeɪbˌiːsˈiː ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪt dˌʌbəljˌuːbˌiːˌɛmˈeɪˌɛlpˈiː ɪn sɛptˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks ˈæftɚ dˌʌbəljˌuːbˌiːˌɑːɹsˈiː ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪɾᵻd wɪð fˈɑːks.
During that period, cable systems in the area continued to carry WPTY and those on the Alabama side of the market began to import WCFT-TV from Tuscaloosa, Alabama when it became a satellite of ABC affiliate WBMA-LP in September 1996 after WBRC affiliated with Fox.