WQED
Full power TV station · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WQED is a full power over-the-air TV station, licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its signal is estimated to reach about 264 cities and towns within 49 miles.
About WQED
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 35 kW effective radiated power, WQED runs more power than 21% 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 218 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 12% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 46 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.
We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 49 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 264 cities and towns in our guide with about 1,670,000 residents, as far as Wheeling, WV (48 miles).
WQED shares its transmitter site with WWAT-CD, WPTG-CD, WBPA-LD, WINP-TV (ION), WOSC-CD and WPDN-LD. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.
Station facts
| Network | Independent / not listed |
| Virtual channel | Not listed |
| Station type | Full power (DTV) |
| City of license | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Tower location | 40.44617, -79.96394 |
| Effective radiated power | 35 kW |
| Antenna height (HAAT) | 218 m (716 ft) |
| FCC facility ID | 41315 |
| License status | Licensed |
Cities that can receive WQED
Estimated with an outdoor antenna. Direction is from the city toward the tower.
| City | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1.7 mi | 77° ENE | Strong |
| Wilkinsburg, PA | 4.3 mi | 274° W | Strong |
| Munhall, PA | 5.0 mi | 318° NW | Good |
| Brentwood, PA | 5.3 mi | 6° N | Good |
| Glenshaw, PA | 6.0 mi | 178° S | Good |
| Whitehall, PA | 6.0 mi | 14° NNE | Good |
| Baldwin, PA | 7.5 mi | 6° N | Good |
| Penn Hills, PA | 7.6 mi | 240° WSW | Good |
| West Mifflin, PA | 7.7 mi | 318° NW | Good |
| Mount Lebanon, PA | 7.7 mi | 36° NE | Good |
| Allison Park, PA | 7.8 mi | 182° S | Good |
| McKeesport, PA | 8.6 mi | 322° NW | Good |
| Bethel Park, PA | 9.1 mi | 26° NNE | Good |
| North Versailles, PA | 9.3 mi | 299° WNW | Good |
| Monroeville, PA | 9.4 mi | 281° W | Good |
| Upper Saint Clair, PA | 9.9 mi | 39° NE | Good |
| South Park Township, PA | 10 mi | 9° N | Good |
| Jefferson Hills, PA | 11 mi | 351° N | Good |
| Franklin Park, PA | 12 mi | 145° SE | Good |
| Plum, PA | 12 mi | 252° WSW | Good |
| Lower Burrell, PA | 13 mi | 236° SW | Good |
| New Kensington, PA | 14 mi | 231° SW | Good |
| Murrysville, PA | 14 mi | 275° W | Good |
| Carnot-Moon, PA | 14 mi | 111° ESE | Good |
| Economy, PA | 17 mi | 128° SE | Good |
| Cranberry Township, PA | 18 mi | 155° SSE | Good |
| Fernway, PA | 19 mi | 153° SSE | Good |
| Aliquippa, PA | 20 mi | 132° SE | Fair |
| Jeannette, PA | 20 mi | 294° WNW | Fair |
| Washington, PA | 24 mi | 38° NE | Fair |
| Greensburg, PA | 25 mi | 294° WNW | Fair |
| Butler, PA | 29 mi | 187° S | Fair |
| Weirton Heights, WV | 30 mi | 85° E | Fair |
| Weirton, WV | 33 mi | 87° E | Fair |
| East Liverpool, OH | 34 mi | 110° ESE | Fair |
| Steubenville, OH | 36 mi | 81° E | Fair |
| Uniontown, PA | 40 mi | 341° NNW | Fair |
| New Castle, PA | 43 mi | 152° SSE | Fair |
| Indiana, PA | 44 mi | 254° WSW | Fair |
| Wheeling, WV | 48 mi | 56° ENE | Fair |
Other network stations nearby
Frequently asked questions
Where is the WQED transmitter tower?
WQED broadcasts from a tower at 40.4462, -79.9639, near Bloomfield, PA. It is licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
How far does WQED broadcast?
With an outdoor antenna, reception is usually workable up to about 49 miles from the tower, and possible in good conditions out to roughly 57 miles. Hills and buildings can shorten that.
How many people can watch WQED with an antenna?
About 1,670,000 people live in the 264 cities and towns within its estimated fair-signal range, not counting rural residents between them.
Which way do I point my antenna for WQED?
Open the live finder from your address to get the exact compass bearing to the WQED tower, or use the table above if your city is listed.