Gulf Coast Congressional Report

The Gulf Coast Congressional Report
Created by	D.H. 'Buck' Long
Starring	Jack Edwards (1973-85) Trent Lott (1973-89) Bob Sikes (1973-79) Earl Hutto (1979-89) Sonny Callahan (1985–2003) Jo Bonner (2003-06)
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	WKRG-TV
Original release	1973 (1973) – 2006 (2006)

The Gulf Coast Congressional Report, or Congressional Report, is a public service television program broadcast by WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama from 1973 to 2006. Originally hosted by Representatives from the three congressional districts within the reach of WKRG's signal, the commercial-free talk show gave viewers a local perspective of Washington, D.C. and the central Gulf Coast from their congressman's standpoint. The program was free to broadcast and was paid for by tax dollars. It was recorded in one of the United States Capitol recording studios and in Mobile.

D.H. "Buck" Long, vice president of WKRG, brought the idea of Congressional Report to the attention of Jack Edwards, who represented Alabama's 1st congressional district. The program would be a collaboration of Edwards, Trent Lott of Mississippi's 5th congressional district and Bob Sikes of Florida's 1st congressional district. Sikes was reluctant at first, according to Lott, but he ultimately joined the program from its first broadcast. Sikes was a Democrat; Edwards and Lott were Republicans. Throughout the years, the hosts made sure the program would remain non-partisan and free of conflicts.

After succeeding Sikes in 1979, fellow Democrat Earl Hutto joined the program. Edwards retired from Congress in 1985, and fellow Republican Sonny Callahan succeeded him in Congress and on the program. Shortly after Lott was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988 and Hutto retired from Congress, the program’s multiple hosts format ended, and Callahan took over as sole host. Lott and Hutto would reappear on the program during Callahan’s term in Congress.

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