Station tuner

Station tuner

Turn the Dial on Boston

Switch between TV, FM and AM and tap any station to see what its FCC public file says.

FCC public file →FM and AM dial guide →

Facts from the FCC Public Inspection File (publicfiles.fcc.gov), read October 2026. Channels and frequencies can change; the FCC link on each station has the current record. Guides: Boston TV Channels: Every Local Station You Can Get With an Antenna and Boston Radio Stations by Frequency: FM and AM Dial Guide.

Before you scan

Five Bars on the Test Card

The five things that decide what you get on a Boston TV or radio, one bar each.

1

Two numbers for every TV station

The number on your screen is a virtual channel. The station may transmit on a different RF channel: WBZ-TV shows as 4 but uses RF 20, and GBH 2 uses RF 5. Your TV links the two during a scan, so when a station moves or vanishes, rescan before you change anything else. Several stations also carry extra program streams, shown as numbers such as 2.2 and 2.3. The full list is in Boston TV Channels: Every Local Station You Can Get With an Antenna. Some stations also share one transmitted signal: WHDH and WLVI both use RF 35, so if one of the pair is missing, a rescan usually brings both back.

2

The antenna follows the RF channel

Boston’s stations use both VHF and UHF RF channels, so pick an antenna made for both. Start indoors near a window, try two or three spots and rescan each time, keeping the spot that finds the most stations. An attic or outdoor antenna helps when walls and hills get in the way. Our The Best TV Antenna for Boston: How to Choose One for Your Home guide walks through each choice. Write down which stations you receive after the first scan; if one vanishes later, you will know exactly what to look for. If a station disappears right after a storm, the problem may be at the transmitter, so wait and rescan later.

3

You usually have the right to an antenna

The FCC’s Over-the-Air Reception Devices rule, 47 CFR 1.4000, limits how local governments, landlords and associations can restrict a TV antenna on property you use exclusively, such as a balcony or patio. Roof work has its own risks: keep any mast well away from power lines, ground it and wait for a calm, dry day, as Rooftop TV Antennas in New England Weather: Safety, Grounding and Storms explains. Renters and condo owners are often told antennas are not allowed, so it is worth knowing the rule before you take one down. Shared roofs and common areas are treated differently from your own balcony.

4

Radio has its own neighborhoods

Most of Boston’s public and college radio sits between 88.1 and 91.9 FM, and news and talk mostly live on AM. Many FM stations are licensed to suburbs, so a signal can favor one side of the city. Moving the radio, stretching the wire antenna or changing rooms fixes most weak stations, and streaming is the fallback; more in Better FM and AM Reception in Boston: Practical Fixes for Weak Stations. Brick, concrete and steel weaken signals, and chargers, LED bulbs and dimmers add noise, especially on AM. NOAA Weather Radio uses its own VHF frequencies, so an ordinary FM radio will not pick it up.

5

Warnings come through several doors

The Emergency Alert System runs on TV, AM, FM and cable; Wireless Emergency Alerts reach phones; and NOAA Weather Radio’s Boston transmitter, KHB35 on 162.475 MHz, broadcasts warnings, watches and forecasts around the clock. A battery radio keeps working when power and internet do not. Read Emergency Alerts on Boston TV, Radio and Phones: How EAS and WEA Work and Boston Weather and Storm Coverage: Where to Get Forecasts and Warnings. Phone alerts come in classes, including Imminent Threat and AMBER Alerts, and carriers may let you switch some of them off, but not National Alerts. It is worth checking your phone’s alert settings once a year.

Questions

What Boston Viewers and Listeners Ask

Why does my TV say channel 4 when the station is on channel 20?

Channel 4 is WBZ-TV’s virtual channel, the number your TV shows. The FCC’s public file lists its RF channel, the one it actually transmits on, as 20. Your TV maps one to the other during a scan.

Do I need a VHF or a UHF antenna in Boston?

Ideally one that does both. According to the FCC’s public files, GBH 2 transmits on RF channel 5 and WMFP on RF channel 10, which are VHF, while most other Boston stations, such as WCVB-TV on 33 and WFXT on 34, are UHF.

A channel disappeared from my TV. What should I do?

Rescan first. Stations sometimes change frequencies or transmitter sites, and the TV needs to relearn where to find them. Open the channel setup or antenna menu and run an automatic scan; it can take several minutes.

Can my landlord or condo association ban my antenna?

Often not. The FCC’s Over-the-Air Reception Devices rule, 47 CFR 1.4000, prohibits restrictions that impair installing or using a TV antenna on property within your exclusive use or control, such as a balcony or patio. Common areas such as a shared roof are treated differently.

Is NextGen TV free, and do I need a new TV?

NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) is free over the air, but you need a NextGen-capable TV or tuner and an antenna to see it. A full-power station airing ATSC 3.0 must keep simulcasting its main programming in today’s ATSC 1.0 format, so current TVs keep working.

Where can I hear the Patriots, Celtics and Bruins on the radio?

98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship for the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Revolution. The Red Sox list WEEI 93.7 as their English radio flagship. Our Boston Sports Radio and Game Broadcasts: Where to Hear the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins guide has the details.

What frequency is NOAA Weather Radio in Boston?

The Boston transmitter is KHB35 on 162.475 MHz. Ordinary FM radios do not receive it; you need a weather radio or a scanner.

Can I turn off emergency alerts on my phone?

Partly. Under 47 CFR 10.280, carriers may let you opt out of Imminent Threat Alerts, AMBER Alerts and Public Safety Messages, but National Alerts cannot be switched off.