TV stations in Alaska
Alaska has 148 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 14 network affiliates carrying CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, CW and ION. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.
Over-the-air TV in Alaska at a glance
Alaska has 148 licensed TV transmitters: 15 full-power, 3 Class A, 90 low-power and 40 translator stations. Translators make up 27% of the total, below the national share of 41%, a sign that most people live within reach of the main towers.
Most full-power and Class A stations are licensed to Anchorage (8), Fairbanks (5), Juneau (2) and Ketchikan (1). Those cities are where the main broadcast hubs sit, and most viewers aim their antennas toward one of them.
The most powerful full-power transmitter in Alaska is KTBY (Fox) in Anchorage, at 234.4 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KJNP-TV near North Pole, 492 m (1,613 ft) above the surrounding terrain.
We ran a reception estimate for all 69 cities and towns in Alaska. A typical place gets 2 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 19 miles away. 25% of places can use an indoor antenna, 30% need an amplified or attic antenna, 42% an outdoor directional antenna and 3% a long-range setup.
Weighted by population, the share of residents with a listed affiliate at fair strength or better is: CBS 70%, NBC 81% and Fox 60%.
Girdwood has the most stations in reach (14). Kenai is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 65 miles away.
Largest cities in Alaska
- Anchorage
- Juneau
- Fairbanks
- Eagle River
- Badger
- Knik-Fairview
- College
- Wasilla
- Sitka
- Lakes
- Ketchikan
- Tanaina
- Kalifornsky
- Kenai
- Meadow Lakes
- Palmer
- Elmendorf Air Force Base
- Bethel
- Kodiak
- Sterling
- Gateway
- Homer
- Farmers Loop
- Fishhook
- Soldotna
- Nikiski
- Unalaska
- Barrow
- Dutch Harbor
- Valdez
- Nome
- Big Lake
- Kotzebue
- Butte
- Petersburg
- Seward
- Eielson Air Force Base
- Ester
- Dillingham
- Wrangell
Network affiliates in Alaska
| Station | Channel | City of license | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBS KYES-TV CBS | 5 | Anchorage | Full power |
| NBC KTUU-TV NBC | 2 | Anchorage | Full power |
| NBC KTVF NBC | 11 | Fairbanks | Full power |
| NBC KUBD NBC | 2 | Ketchikan | Full power |
| FOX KTBY Fox | 4 | Anchorage | Full power |
| PBS KUAC-TV PBS | 9 | Fairbanks | Full power |
| CW KATN CW | 2.3 | Fairbanks | Full power |
| CW KJUD CW | 8.2 | Juneau | Full power |
| CW KYUR CW | 13.2 | Anchorage | Full power |
| ION KDMD ION | 33 | Anchorage | Full power |
| TBN KJNP-TV Trinity | 4 | North Pole | Full power |
| CBS KSCT-LD CBS | 5 | Sitka | Low power |
| CBS KYEX-LD CBS | 5 | Juneau | Low power |
| NBC KATH-LD NBC | 5 | Juneau-Douglas | Low power |
Other full-power and Class A stations
Stations without a network tag in our data: often public television, religious, shopping, foreign-language or independent stations.
All cities and towns in Alaska (69)
- Akutan
- Anchor Point
- Anchorage
- Badger
- Barrow
- Bear Creek
- Bethel
- Big Lake
- Butte
- Chevak
- Cohoe
- College
- Cordova
- Craig
- Deltana
- Diamond Ridge
- Dillingham
- Dutch Harbor
- Eagle River
- Eielson Air Force Base
- Elmendorf Air Force Base
- Ester
- Fairbanks
- Farm Loop
- Farmers Loop
- Fishhook
- Fritz Creek
- Gateway
- Girdwood
- Haines
- Healy
- Homer
- Hooper Bay
- Houston
- Juneau
- Kalifornsky
- Kenai
- Ketchikan
- King Cove
- Knik-Fairview
- Kodiak
- Kodiak Station
- Kotzebue
- Lakes
- Lazy Mountain
- Meadow Lakes
- Metlakatla
- Nikiski
- Nome
- North Pole
- Palmer
- Petersburg
- Prudhoe Bay
- Ridgeway
- Salcha
- Sand Point
- Seward
- Sitka
- Soldotna
- Sterling
- Susitna North
- Sutton-Alpine
- Tanaina
- Tok
- Unalaska
- Valdez
- Wasilla
- Willow
- Wrangell
Frequently asked questions
How many TV stations are in Alaska?
Alaska has 148 licensed TV transmitters: 15 full-power, 3 Class A, 90 low-power and 40 translator stations.
Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Alaska?
CBS (3 stations), NBC (4 stations), Fox (1 station), PBS (1 station), CW (3 stations), ION (1 station) and Trinity (1 station). Some public, religious and independent stations are not tagged with a network in our data.
What channels can I get with an antenna in Anchorage?
See the Anchorage channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.
Do I need an outdoor antenna in Alaska?
In 45% of Alaska's cities and towns, yes. 55% can manage with an indoor or attic antenna. It depends on how far you are from the towers: each city page below gives a recommendation for that location.