WIAT (CBS) · Channel 42

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

Its antenna sits 420 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 59% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 60 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 72 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 154 cities and towns in our guide with about 1,400,000 residents, as far as Albertville, AL (64 miles).

WIAT shares its transmitter site with WPXH-TV (ION), WVUA, WBUN-LP, WBIQ, WUOA-LD and WSWH-LD and 6 more. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other CBS station in our data is WHNT-TV in Huntsville, AL, 88 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.