Antenna TV channels in Rockford
8 stations broadcast free TV around Rockford, carrying 16 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 Rockford
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 14% of people in the Rockford market; about 87% need an attic or roof antenna. A typical home gets about 42 free channels from 13 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+% | 95% |
| CBS | 98% | 17% |
| NBC | 99+% | 16% |
| FOX | 99+% | 89% |
| PBS | 87% | 16% |
| The CW | 99+% | 16% |
| Univision | 3% | 0% |
| Telemundo | 5% | 0% |
Share of the market's 631k people, across its 81 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford ZIP 61104 | Roof | west-northwest (292°, most) | 42 |
| Janesville ZIP 53546 | Indoor likely | northwest (310°) | 42 |
| Beloit ZIP 53511 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (207°, most) | 42 |
| Belvidere ZIP 61008 | Roof | west (276°, most) | 61 |
| Loves Park ZIP 61111 | Attic or outdoor | west-southwest (254°, most) | 42 |
| Freeport ZIP 61032 | Attic or outdoor | east (90°, most) | 48 |
| Machesney Park ZIP 61115 | Roof | west-southwest (240°, most) | 42 |
| Dixon ZIP 61021 | Roof | north-northeast (28°, most) | 37 |
| Roscoe ZIP 61073 | Attic or outdoor | southwest (226°, most) | 42 |
| Rochelle ZIP 61068 | Roof | north-northwest (347°, most) | 43 |
| South Beloit ZIP 61080 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (212°, most) | 42 |
| Rockton ZIP 61072 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (210°, most) | 42 |
| Edgerton ZIP 53534 | Indoor likely | west-northwest (302°, most) | 50 |
| Milton ZIP 53563 | Indoor likely | northwest (304°, most) | 78 |
| Evansville ZIP 53536 | Attic or outdoor | north-northwest (329°) | 49 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in Rockford?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 NBC | 13.1 | WREX |
 ABC | 17.1 | WTVO |
 FOX | 39.1 | WQRF-TV |
 The CW | 19.1 | WSLN |
The best TV antenna for Rockford
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 14% of people.
- 8 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (WREX, WSLN), 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 Janesville, Belvidere, Loves Park and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (WSLN and others). From the largest towns around Rockford:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Janesville, WI | south-southwest (197°) | 28 mi |
| Belvidere, IL | west (279°) | 15 mi |
| Loves Park, IL | west-southwest (252°) | 9 mi |
| Freeport, IL | east (89°) | 24 mi |
| Dixon, IL | north-northeast (27°) | 35 mi |
| Rochelle, IL | north-northwest (348°) | 27 mi |
3 full-power stations transmit from elsewhere: WQRF-TV (1 mi away), WTVO (1 mi away), WREX (4 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the Rockford TV towers are
Map of 5 tower sites around Rockford. The list below has every site.
Every Rockford 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.
Full power (4)
- WREX Rockford, IL · VHF
- 13.1 NBC
- 13.2 MeTV Toons
- 13.3 MeTV
- 13.4 Court TV
- 13.5 True Crime Network
- WTVO Rockford, IL · UHF
- 17.1 ABC
- 17.2 Independent with MyNetworkTV
- 17.3 Laff
- 17.4 Grit
- WSLN Freeport, IL · VHF
- 19.1 The CW
- 19.2 365BLK
- 19.3 24/7 Local Weather
- WQRF-TV Rockford, IL · UHF
- 39.1 Fox
- 39.2 Bounce TV
- 39.3 Ion Mystery
- 39.4 Cozi TV
Low power (2)
Questions about antenna TV in Rockford
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in Rockford?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Rockford?
What is the best TV antenna for Rockford?
Which way should I point my antenna in Rockford?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- WQRF-TV · facility 52408 · RF 36 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 910 kW · HAAT 148.1 m · licensed 2020-03-16
- WTVO · facility 72945 · RF 16 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 196 kW · HAAT 201 m · licensed 2004-03-08
- WSLN · facility 776220 · RF 9 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 30 kW · HAAT 218.2 m · licensed 2023-09-28
- WIFR-LD · facility 183744 · RF 28 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2023-07-25
- WFBN-LD · facility 168664 · 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 2024-08-13
- WREX · facility 73940 · RF 13 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 30 kW · HAAT 216 m · licensed 2023-10-05
- W35DY-D · facility 1006 · RF 35 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 2.5 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2025-06-27 · newer construction permit granted
- W27EJ-D · facility 5469 · 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 2018-10-31
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