WCAX-TV (CBS) · Channel 3

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 423 kW effective radiated power, WCAX-TV runs more power than 58% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).

Its antenna sits 845 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 95% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 82 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 90 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 136 cities and towns in our guide with about 506,000 residents, as far as Queensbury, NY (89 miles).

WCAX-TV shares its transmitter site with WPTZ (NBC), WNNE (CW), WFFF-TV (Fox), WVNY (ABC) and WETK. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other CBS station in our data is WRGB in Schenectady, NY, 144 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.