KQED (PBS) · Channel 9

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 1,000 kW effective radiated power, KQED runs more power than 79% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).

Its antenna sits 512 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 74% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 66 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 77 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 258 cities and towns in our guide with about 9,040,000 residents, as far as Florin, CA (76 miles).

KQED shares its transmitter site with KTNC-TV, KPIX-TV (CBS), KMMC-LD, KEMO-TV, KGO-TV (ABC) and KQEH and 9 more. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other PBS station in our data is KVIE in Sacramento, CA, 63 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.