Stephens County to upload its application to FCC

Stephens County has completed its application to the Federal Communications Commission.

That’s according to Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers.

She says that the application to move to the Atlanta TV stations is in its final stages with just a few pieces left to put together.

Ayers adds that once the application is submitted, the FCC will then begin the review process.

She points out, however, that the process to actually get satellite TV providers to move their orphan county customers back under the state in which they live, could still take a while and involves numerous steps.

Stephens, Franklin, Hart and Elbert counties are all considered orphan counties because their citizens with satellite service are not receiving Georgia local news, weather, or sports from their home state TV stations.

Both Franklin and Hart counties have submitted their petitions to the FCC, and in October the FCC ruled that satellite TV customers in both counties could receive TV stations in Georgia rather than from the Carolinas.

But, the FCC received push back from the Greenville, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina TV stations who filed appeals requesting the FCC reconsider the counties’ petitions.

Ayers says she expects the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville stations to do the same once Stephens County’s application is submitted.

WNEG News will provide continued coverage as more information is released.