ɪnðə sˈɪks jˈɪɹz ðætðə mˈɑːɹkɪt hæd nˈoʊ ˌeɪbˌiːsˈiː ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪt, kˈeɪbəl sˈɪstəmz ɪnðɪ ˈɛɹiə pˈaɪpt ɪn dˈʌbəljˌuːtˈaɪtˌiːvˈiː fɹʌm mˈɛmfɪs, tˌɛnəsˈiː wˌɪtʃ bɪkˌeɪm ɐn ˌeɪbˌiːsˈiː ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪt ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈaɪv ænd fˈɔːɹmɚli sˈɜːvd æz ðə dᵻfˈɔlt fˈɑːks ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪt fɚðɪ ˈɛɹiə, ɔːɹ dˌʌbəljˌuːsˌiːˌɛftˈiːtˌiːvˈiː fɹʌm tˈʌskɐlˌuːsə, ˌæləbˈæmə wˌɪtʃ bɪkˌeɪm ɐ sˈɛmaɪsˈæɾəlˌaɪt ʌv bˈɜːmɪŋˌæm ˌeɪbˌiːsˈiː ɐfˈɪlɪˌeɪt dˌʌbəljˌuːbˌiːˌɛmˈeɪˌɛlpˈiː ɪn sɛptˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks.
In the six years that the market had no ABC affiliate, cable systems in the area piped in WPTY-TV from Memphis, Tennessee (which became an ABC affiliate in December 1995 and formerly served as the default Fox affiliate for the area), or WCFT-TV from Tuscaloosa, Alabama (which became a semi-satellite of Birmingham ABC affiliate WBMA-LP in September 1996).