TV channels & antenna towers in Carlsbad, California

With roughly 113,000 residents, Carlsbad is a city in California. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 25 licensed TV transmitters: 7 full-power, 2 Class A, 14 low-power and 2 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 13 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 5 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 8 transmitters are within 25 miles, 10 between 25 and 45 miles, and 7 farther out. Seven of the 10 network stations in range are licensed to San Diego, so most of the network channels you will find here come from San Diego's stations.

The best-placed network stations are ABC on channel 10 (KGTV), NBC on channel 39 (KNSD), Fox on channel 69 (KSWB-TV), PBS on channel 15 (KPBS), CW on channel 8.2 (KFMB-TV), Telemundo on channel 48 (KUAN-LD) and Univision on channel 17 (KBNT-CD). No CBS affiliate is listed within 70 miles; the nearest one in our data is KPSP-CD in Cathedral City, CA, 72 miles to the northeast. Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (good signal) and Univision (fair signal). 1 full-power station in range has no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna SSE, at about 148°. The main network towers for Carlsbad sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Three network stations, KBNT-CD, KGTV and KFMB-TV, transmit from the same tower site about 23 miles south of Carlsbad (165° SSE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 7 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Carlsbad at fair strength or better, 43% arrive from the south; the rest are spread across two other directions.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Carlsbad, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Carlsbad is KSWB-TV (Fox), 40 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here. Skip that station and you may get away with a smaller antenna.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

With 13 stations at fair strength or better, Carlsbad ranks 832nd of 1,078 places in California: fewer than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 10 miles away, against a state median of 22 miles.

48% of California's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is San Diego, 32 miles away.