WJLA-TV (ABC) · Channel 7

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 52 kW effective radiated power, WJLA-TV runs more power than 29% 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 236 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 15% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 47 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 51 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 389 cities and towns in our guide with about 7,270,000 residents, as far as Fredericksburg, VA (49 miles).

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

The nearest other ABC station in our data is WMAR-TV in Baltimore, MD, 35 miles away. Viewers between the two can sometimes receive both.

ABC is one of the four big commercial broadcast networks. Local ABC affiliates carry the national morning, evening news and primetime schedule alongside their own local newscasts, and the network carries major sports such as NBA games.