WVTV (CW) · Channel 18

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

Its antenna sits 318 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 36% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 53 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.

We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 66 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 231 cities and towns in our guide with about 3,040,000 residents, as far as Buffalo Grove, IL (65 miles).

WVTV shares its transmitter site with WMKE-CD, WMVS, WMVT, WTSJ-LD, WIWN and WPVS-LD and 4 more. One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.

The nearest other CW station in our data is WMTV in Madison, WI, 80 miles away. Viewers between the two can sometimes receive both.

The CW is a commercial broadcast network carrying entertainment series and a growing slate of sports. In smaller markets it often runs as a subchannel of another station rather than its own transmitter.