KAET (PBS) · Channel 8

Full-power stations are the main licensed broadcasters in a market. They may run the highest power from the tallest towers and are protected from interference, so they set the core of what you can receive.

At 40 kW effective radiated power, KAET runs more power than 23% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW). Stations on VHF channels are licensed at much lower power than UHF stations to cover the same area, so a low figure does not always mean a weak signal.

Its antenna sits 549 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 79% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 68 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 69 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 57 cities and towns in our guide with about 5,170,000 residents, as far as Florence, AZ (44 miles).

KAET shares its transmitter site with KPNX (NBC), KFPH-CD, KTVW-DT (Univision), KTVK, KPHE-LD and K14RK-D and 18 more. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other PBS station in our data is KPBS in San Diego, CA, 286 miles away. Viewers between the two can sometimes receive both.

PBS is the non-commercial public television service. Each region is served by a member station that carries national programs such as children's shows, documentaries and news, plus local programming.