Antenna TV channels in Rochester NY
9 stations broadcast free TV around Rochester NY, carrying 30 channels including Subchannel An extra channel a station sends alongside its main one, like 2.2 or 2.3. More in the glossary . 4 of the 5 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 Rochester NY
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 1% of people in the Rochester NY market; about 98% need an attic or roof antenna. A typical home gets about 48 free channels from 15 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% | 2% |
| CBS | 99+% | 94% |
| NBC | 99+% | 4% |
| FOX | 99+% | 96% |
| PBS | 99+% | 91% |
| The CW | 99% | 1% |
Share of the market's 1,006k people, across its 88 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester ZIP 14605 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (160°) | 62 |
| Geneva ZIP 14456 | Attic or outdoor | east (84°) | 49 |
| Canandaigua ZIP 14424 | Attic or outdoor | northwest (320°) | 44 |
| Newark ZIP 14513 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (284°) | 27 |
| Brockport ZIP 14420 | Attic or outdoor | east-southeast (108°) | 57 |
| East Rochester ZIP 14445 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (289°) | 40 |
| Hilton ZIP 14468 | Attic or outdoor | southeast (137°) | 59 |
| Medina ZIP 14103 | Indoor likely | south-southwest (196°, most) | 67 |
| Albion ZIP 14411 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (207°, most) | 51 |
| Webster ZIP 14580 | Attic or outdoor | southwest (227°) | 42 |
| Fairport ZIP 14450 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (293°) | 29 |
| Spencerport ZIP 14559 | Attic or outdoor | east-southeast (108°) | 53 |
| Palmyra ZIP 14522 | Attic or outdoor | west-northwest (286°) | 31 |
| Victor ZIP 14564 | Attic or outdoor | northwest (318°) | 29 |
| Honeoye Falls ZIP 14472 | Attic or outdoor | north (357°) | 38 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in Rochester NY?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 CBS | 8.1 | WROC-TV |
 NBC | 10.1 | WHEC-TV |
 ABC | 13.1 | WHAM-TV |
 FOX | 31.1 | WUHF |
 PBS | 21.1 | WXXI-TV |
 The CW | 13.2 | WHAM-TV |
The best TV antenna for Rochester NY
Get an antenna rated for both VHF and UHF and aim it at the main tower site, where 4 of the 5 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 1% of people.
- 11 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (WHEC-TV, WHAM-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 Geneva, Newark, Brockport and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (WHEC-TV, WROC-TV, WXXI-TV, WHAM-TV and others). From the largest towns around Rochester NY:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva, NY | west-northwest (302°) | 36 mi |
| Newark, NY | west-northwest (285°) | 26 mi |
| Brockport, NY | east-southeast (107°) | 19 mi |
| Hilton, NY | southeast (135°) | 15 mi |
| Honeoye Falls, NY | north (2°) | 12 mi |
One full-power station transmits from elsewhere: WUHF (0 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the Rochester NY TV towers are
Map of 4 tower sites around Rochester NY. The list below has every site.
-
4 stations · 3 mi southeast of the centre
-
2 stations · 3 mi southeast of the centre
-
2 stations · 3 mi southeast of the centre
1 more single low-power sites
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Rochester NY
One station (WUHF) now sends the newer NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) A newer broadcast format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations also send the old format from a partner station. More in the glossary format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations share: each channel that moved is also sent in the old format by a partner station (a Lighthouse (channel sharing) One station switches to NextGen TV and carries other stations' 3.0 versions; partners carry its old-format version. More in the glossary arrangement). Your TV shows the same number; at most you need a Rescan Asking your TV to search for channels again. Fixes most missing channels. More in the glossary .
WUHF sends NextGen TV on RF 28
- 31.1 Fox: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 31.2 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 31.3 Comet: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 31.4 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
Every Rochester NY 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. 2 subchannels have no confirmed network; we show them as "network unknown" rather than guess.
Full power (5)
- WROC-TV Rochester, NY · UHF
- 8.1 CBS
- 8.2 Bounce TV
- 8.3 Grit
- 8.4 Ion Mystery
- WHEC-TV Rochester, NY · VHF
- 10.1 NBC
- 10.2 MeTV
- 10.3 Start TV
- 10.4 Ion
- 10.5 Heroes & Icons
- 10.6 Grit
- 10.7 Ion Plus
- WHAM-TV Rochester, NY · VHF
- 13.1 ABC
- 13.2 The CW
- 13.3 Charge!
- 13.4 The Nest
- WXXI-TV Rochester, NY · UHF
- 21.1 PBS
- 21.2 World
- 21.3 Create
- 21.4 PBS Kids
- WUHF Rochester, NY · UHF · NextGen TV
- 31.1 Fox
- 31.2 network unknown
- 31.3 Comet
- 31.4 network unknown
Class A (2)
Questions about antenna TV in Rochester NY
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in Rochester NY?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Rochester NY?
What is the best TV antenna for Rochester NY?
Which way should I point my antenna in Rochester NY?
Do I need a new TV for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Rochester NY?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- WBGT-CD · facility 10318 · 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 2020-01-09
- WAWW-LD · facility 27573 · RF 30 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2021-12-07
- WHEC-TV · facility 70041 · RF 10 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 18.1 kW · HAAT 153 m · licensed 2012-03-28 · newer construction permit granted
- WROC-TV · facility 73964 · RF 21 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 1000 kW · HAAT 123.2 m · licensed 2023-03-17
- WUHF · facility 413 · RF 28 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 320 kW · HAAT 161 m · licensed 2024-07-18
- WGCE-CD · facility 58739 · RF 26 (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
- WXXI-TV · facility 57274 · RF 22 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 273 kW · HAAT 152 m · licensed 2023-03-17
- WHAM-TV · facility 73371 · RF 9 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 30 kW · HAAT 155 m · licensed 2023-03-17
- WNIB-LD · facility 67785 · RF 11 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 3 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-06-18
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