WETA-TV (PBS) · Channel 26

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, WETA-TV runs more power than 79% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).

Its antenna sits 257 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 18% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 49 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 62 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 452 cities and towns in our guide with about 7,830,000 residents, as far as Winchester, VA (60 miles).

WETA-TV shares its transmitter site with WJLA-TV (ABC), WJAL, WHUT-TV (PBS) and WUSA (CBS). One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other PBS station in our data is WHUT-TV in Washington, DC, 0.0 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.