KUAC-TV (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 30 kW effective radiated power, KUAC-TV runs more power than 17% 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 169 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 6% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 41 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 44 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 8 cities and towns in our guide with about 78,000 residents, as far as Fairbanks, AK (5.4 miles).

The nearest other PBS station in our data is KEET in Eureka, CA, 1,918 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.