Antenna TV channels in Madison
11 stations broadcast free TV around Madison, carrying 34 channels including Subchannel An extra channel a station sends alongside its main one, like 2.2 or 2.3. More in the glossary . 5 of the 6 full-power stations transmit from one site, so in most of the area one aimed antenna picks up most of them.
Updated from FCC data
How well antenna TV works around Madison
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 0% of people in the Madison market; about 94% need an attic or roof antenna, and for about 6% reception depends on the exact spot. A typical home gets about 33 free channels from 10 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 | 91% | 76% |
| CBS | 92% | 0% |
| NBC | 89% | 74% |
| FOX | 90% | 76% |
| PBS | 87% | 74% |
| The CW | 85% | 74% |
| Telemundo | 7% | 0% |
Share of the market's 915k people, across its 144 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison ZIP 53706 | Attic or outdoor | west-southwest (255°) | 34 |
| Sun Prairie ZIP 53590 | Attic or outdoor | west-southwest (238°) | 46 |
| Fitchburg ZIP 53711 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (291°) | 34 |
| Middleton ZIP 53562 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (196°, most) | 33 |
| Verona ZIP 53593 | Attic or outdoor | north-northeast (29°) | 33 |
| Waunakee ZIP 53597 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (204°) | 33 |
| Stoughton ZIP 53589 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (301°) | 50 |
| Baraboo ZIP 53913 | Roof | south-southeast (159°) | 26 |
| DeForest ZIP 53532 | Attic or outdoor | southwest (217°) | 34 |
| Oregon ZIP 53575 | Attic or outdoor | northwest (323°) | 33 |
| Platteville ZIP 53818 | Roof | east-northeast (65°) | 23 |
| Reedsburg ZIP 53959 | Roof | southeast (145°) | 26 |
| Monroe ZIP 53566 | Attic or outdoor | north (11°) | 53 |
| Windsor ZIP 53532 | Attic or outdoor | southwest (217°) | 34 |
| Portage ZIP 53901 | Attic or outdoor | south (185°) | 27 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in Madison?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 CBS | 3.1 | WISC-TV |
 NBC | 15.1 | WMTV |
 ABC | 27.1 | WKOW |
 FOX | 47.1 | WMSN-TV |
 PBS | 21.1 | WHA-TV |
 The CW | 15.2 | WMTV |
 ION | 57.1 | WIFS |
The best TV antenna for Madison
Get an antenna rated for both VHF and UHF and aim it at the main tower site, where 5 of the 6 full-power stations transmit. For most homes an attic or outdoor antenna is the safe choice; by our estimate an indoor one is likely enough for only about 0% of people.
- 6 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (WISC-TV), and many flat indoor antennas are weak on VHF.
- Most towers stand together, so one fixed aim covers nearly everything.
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 Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, Verona and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (WHA-TV, WMSN-TV, WIFS, WKOW and others). From the largest towns around Madison:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Prairie, WI | west-southwest (240°) | 18 mi |
| Fitchburg, WI | northwest (311°) | 7 mi |
| Verona, WI | north (3°) | 4 mi |
| Waunakee, WI | south-southwest (208°) | 10 mi |
| Stoughton, WI | west-northwest (300°) | 18 mi |
| Baraboo, WI | south-southeast (160°) | 30 mi |
| Cottage Grove, WI | west (261°) | 17 mi |
| Mount Horeb, WI | east-northeast (71°) | 11 mi |
One full-power station transmits from elsewhere: WMTV (2 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the Madison TV towers are
Map of 6 tower sites around Madison. The list below has every site.
Every Madison 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 (6)
- WISC-TV Madison, WI · VHF
- 3.1 CBS
- 3.2 Independent with MyNetworkTV
- 3.3 Dabl
- 3.4 QVC
- 3.5 HSN
- 3.6 Grit
- WMTV Madison, WI · UHF
- 15.1 NBC
- 15.2 The CW
- 15.3 Outlaw
- 15.4 MeTV
- 15.5 Start TV
- 15.6 365BLK
- WHA-TV Madison, WI · UHF
- 21.1 PBS
- WKOW Madison, WI · UHF
- 27.1 ABC
- 27.2 Catchy Comedy
- 27.3 MeTV Toons
- 27.4 Court TV
- 27.5 True Crime Network
- 27.6 Camera
- WMSN-TV Madison, WI · UHF
- 47.1 Fox
- 47.2 Comet
- 47.3 Charge!
- 47.4 Roar
- 47.5 The Nest
- 47.6 Antenna TV
- WIFS Janesville, WI · UHF
- 57.1 Ion Television
Class A (1)
- W23BW-D Madison, WI · UHF
- 23.1 network unknown
- 23.2 Buzzr
- 23.3 Defy
- 23.4 NTD America
- 23.5 3ABN
- 23.6 Oxygen
- 23.7 Infomercials
- 23.8 Oxygen
Low power (3)
Translator (1)
- W16DU-D Bloomington, WI · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Questions about antenna TV in Madison
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in Madison?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Madison?
What is the best TV antenna for Madison?
Which way should I point my antenna in Madison?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- WZCK-LD · facility 26603 · RF 24 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-02-05
- W23BW-D · facility 67000 · RF 23 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2022-07-22
- WMWD-LD · facility 68073 · 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 2021-06-17
- WMTV · facility 6870 · RF 19 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 155 kW · HAAT 414.8 m · licensed 2011-07-07
- WHA-TV · facility 6096 · RF 20 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 200 kW · HAAT 454 m · licensed 2019-11-18
- WMSN-TV · facility 10221 · RF 18 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 440 kW · HAAT 450 m · licensed 2020-05-22 · newer construction permit granted
- WIFS · facility 26025 · RF 21 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 175 kW · HAAT 454 m · licensed 2019-12-04
- WKOW · facility 64545 · RF 26 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 800 kW · HAAT 455 m · licensed 2012-03-26
- WISC-TV · facility 65143 · RF 11 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 46.9 kW · HAAT 469.2 m · licensed 2020-11-23 · newer construction permit granted
- WMWI-LD · facility 182499 · 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 2026-01-27
- W16DU-D · facility 63057 · RF 16 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 4.58 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2018-10-11
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