Antenna TV channels in Lima
9 stations broadcast free TV around Lima, carrying 11 channels including Subchannel An extra channel a station sends alongside its main one, like 2.2 or 2.3. More in the glossary . The full-power stations transmit from several sites, so the direction to aim depends on where you live.
Updated from FCC data
How well antenna TV works around Lima
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 5% of people in the Lima market; about 95% need an attic or roof antenna. A typical home gets about 55 free channels from 20 stations, some from neighbouring markets.
Estimates from our terrain predictions for an antenna about 30 ft up, adjusted for indoor use. They are not yet checked against real channel scans; VHF channels never count as indoor. How we work it out
Each network's reach
| Network | Reaches | Indoor likely |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | 99+% | 54% |
| CBS | 99% | 7% |
| NBC | 99+% | 17% |
| FOX | 96% | 14% |
| PBS | 99+% | 87% |
| The CW | 97% | 6% |
Share of the market's 366k people, across its 86 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Findlay ZIP 45840 | Roof | west-northwest (294°, most) | 70 |
| Lima ZIP 45801 | Roof | north-northeast (21°, most) | 37 |
| Van Wert ZIP 45891 | Indoor likely | west-northwest (298°, most) | 39 |
| Wapakoneta ZIP 45895 | Roof | south-southwest (193°, most) | 46 |
| Napoleon ZIP 43545 | Attic or outdoor | east-northeast (63°, most) | 81 |
| St. Marys ZIP 45885 | Roof | south (171°, most) | 55 |
| Kenton ZIP 43326 | Roof | south-southeast (148°, most) | 51 |
| Delphos ZIP 45833 | Attic or outdoor | northeast (48°, most) | 44 |
| Upper Sandusky ZIP 43351 | Roof | west-northwest (303°, most) | 79 |
| Ada ZIP 45810 | Roof | north (351°, most) | 51 |
| Ottawa ZIP 45875 | Roof | northeast (43°, most) | 73 |
| Bluffton ZIP 45817 | Roof | north (11°, most) | 59 |
| Carey ZIP 43316 | Roof | north (359°, most) | 73 |
| Minster ZIP 45865 | Attic or outdoor | south (172°, most) | 46 |
| New Bremen ZIP 45869 | Attic or outdoor | south (169°, most) | 49 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in Lima?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 NBC | 8.1 also 35.1 | WLIO |
 PBS | 27.1 | WBGU-TV |
The best TV antenna for Lima
Get an antenna rated for both VHF and UHF. Most homes here need a roof antenna, aimed; by our estimate an indoor one is likely enough for only about 5% of people.
- 3 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (WLIO, WLMA), and many flat indoor antennas are weak on VHF.
- The towers are spread out, so a wide-beam (multi-directional) antenna is safer than a narrow directional one.
Not sure about VHF Lower frequencies (RF 2–13). Needs an antenna with longer elements; many flat indoor antennas are weak here. More in the glossary and UHF Higher frequencies (RF 14–36). Most stations are here; almost any antenna picks it up. More in the glossary ? See the glossary. Any brand of the right type will do.
Which way to point your antenna from Findlay, Van Wert, Wapakoneta and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (WLIO and others). From the largest towns around Lima:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Findlay, OH | southwest (233°) | 31 mi |
| Van Wert, OH | east-southeast (105°) | 25 mi |
| Wapakoneta, OH | north-northeast (14°) | 15 mi |
| Napoleon, OH | south (180°) | 43 mi |
| St. Marys, OH | northeast (42°) | 21 mi |
| Kenton, OH | west-northwest (289°) | 28 mi |
| Delphos, OH | east-southeast (113°) | 12 mi |
2 full-power stations transmit from elsewhere: WLMA (3 mi away), WBGU-TV (27 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the Lima TV towers are
Map of 6 tower sites around Lima. The list below has every site.
Every Lima station and subchannel
Including Class A and low-power stations Smaller stations with a shorter range than full-power ones. More in the glossary stations. 1 subchannels have no confirmed network; we show them as "network unknown" rather than guess.
Full power (3)
- WBGU-TV Bowling Green, OH · UHF
- 27.1 PBS
- 27.2 PBS Kids/The Ohio Channel
- 27.3 Create
- 27.7 Voicecorps Reading Service
- WLIO Lima, OH · VHF
- 8.1 NBC
- 8.2 Fox MyNetworkTV
- 35.1 NBC
- WLMA Lima, OH · VHF
- 44.1 Religious independent
- 44.3 network unknown · on WTLW-CD's signal
- 44.4 West Ohio Sports Network · on WTLW-CD's signal
- 44.7 Newsmax2 · on WTLW-CD's signal
Class A (4)
- WOHL-CD Lima, OH · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Its signal also carries 35.1 for partner stations.
- WAMS-CD Minster/New Bremen, OH · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WPNM-CD Leipsic, OH · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WTLW-CD Lima, OH · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Its signal also carries 44.3, 44.4, 44.7 for partner stations.
Questions about antenna TV in Lima
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in Lima?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Lima?
What is the best TV antenna for Lima?
Which way should I point my antenna in Lima?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- WLIO · facility 37503 · RF 8 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 40 kW · HAAT 170 m · licensed 2019-08-07
- WOHL-CD · facility 68549 · RF 15 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-03-19
- WLMA · facility 1222 · RF 4 (VHF-low) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 10 kW · HAAT 209 m · licensed 2022-10-11 · newer construction permit granted
- WTLW-CD · facility 74373 · RF 17 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2024-07-30
- WOHW-LD · facility 187438 · RF 26 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 0.5 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-02-13 · newer construction permit granted
- WAMS-CD · facility 70612 · RF 29 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2025-01-14
- WBGU-TV · facility 6568 · RF 22 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 137 kW · HAAT 320 m · licensed 2018-12-04 · newer construction permit granted
- WPNM-CD · facility 21476 · RF 27 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2025-01-14
- WFND-LD · facility 21475 · RF 19 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2024-05-14
Where this comes from
- Stations, towers, channels and power: FCC Licensing and Management System (LMS) public database, data of .
- Networks and subchannels: our affiliations dataset, built from Wikipedia (used under CC BY-SA 4.0), the network field stations file with the FCC, and station websites; checked . Credits.
- Towns and distances: US Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 city population estimates (SUB-EST2025) and 2026 Gazetteer place coordinates; distances are straight-line from each town's Census centre point.
- Reception: Reception predictions over USGS terrain for every ZIP, FCC data 2026-11-03 00:00:00 (model 2026-11-11.4)
- Market area: Market area: counties assigned by FCC service-contour coverage of each market's full-power stations (FCC LMS market list, Census 2020).
Updated How we work this out