WAKA (CBS) · 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 944 kW effective radiated power, WAKA runs more power than 78% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).

Its antenna sits 495 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 71% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 65 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 76 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 64 cities and towns in our guide with about 538,000 residents, as far as Alabaster, AL (76 miles).

WAKA shares its transmitter site with WNCF (ABC). One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other CBS station in our data is WIAT in Birmingham, AL, 92 miles away. Viewers between the two can sometimes receive both.

CBS is one of the four big commercial broadcast networks. Local CBS affiliates carry the network's news, daytime and primetime schedule plus local news, and CBS is the over-the-air home of many NFL Sunday afternoon games.