TV channels & antenna towers in Desert Hot Springs, California

Desert Hot Springs is a town of about 28,300 people in California. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 57 licensed TV transmitters: 3 full-power, 6 Class A, 23 low-power and 25 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 20 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 12 at good or strong strength.

26 of them are within 25 miles of Desert Hot Springs, 13 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 18 are more than 45 miles out. Three of the 9 network stations in range are licensed to Palm Springs, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Palm Springs's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are CBS on channel 38 (KPSP-CD), NBC on channel 36 (KMIR-TV), Fox on channel 33 (KDFX-CD), PBS on channel 24 (KVCR-DT), CW on channel 2.3 (KESQ-TV), Telemundo on channel 15 (KUNA-LD) and Univision on channel 41 (KVER-CD). No ABC affiliate is listed within 70 miles; the nearest one in our data is KGTV in San Diego, CA, 89 miles to the southwest. Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (fair signal) and Univision (good signal).

The main network towers around Desert Hot Springs are in different directions: CBS 149° SSE (7.7 mi), NBC 149° SSE (7.7 mi), Fox 149° SSE (7.7 mi) and PBS 271° W (45 mi). Aim at the farthest one you want first, or use a multi-directional antenna.

Five network stations, KMIR-TV, KPSP-CD, KESQ-TV, KDFX-CD and KVER-CD, transmit from the same tower site about 7.7 miles southeast of Desert Hot Springs (149° SSE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 6 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Desert Hot Springs at fair strength or better, 83% arrive from the southeast; the rest are spread across one other direction.

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

The farthest main network tower for Desert Hot Springs is KVCR-DT (PBS), 45 miles away with a fair 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.

KMIR-TV is only 7.7 miles away with a strong signal. Signals that strong can overload an amplifier, so start without one and add it only if distant channels are missing. Read when an amplifier helps.

With 20 stations at fair strength or better, Desert Hot Springs ranks 645th of 1,078 places in California: fewer than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 7.7 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 Indio, 23 miles away.