TV stations in Idaho
Idaho has 225 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 18 network affiliates carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, 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 Idaho at a glance
Idaho has 225 licensed TV transmitters: 18 full-power, 5 Class A, 42 low-power and 160 translator stations. Translators make up 71% of the total, well above the national share of 41%. That usually points to mountains or long rural distances that the main towers cannot cover on their own.
Most full-power and Class A stations are licensed to Boise (5), Pocatello (4), Twin Falls (4) and Nampa (2). 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 Idaho is KTVB (NBC) in Boise, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KBOI-TV near Boise, 859 m (2,818 ft) above the surrounding terrain.
We ran a reception estimate for all 98 cities and towns in Idaho. A typical place gets 10 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 35 miles away. 11% of places can use an indoor antenna, 45% need an amplified or attic antenna, 44% an outdoor directional antenna and 0% a long-range setup.
Weighted by population, the share of residents with a listed affiliate at fair strength or better is: ABC 65%, CBS 21%, NBC 88% and Fox 89%.
Star has the most stations in reach (21). Council is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 69 miles away.
Largest cities in Idaho
- Boise
- Meridian
- Nampa
- Idaho Falls
- Pocatello
- Caldwell
- Coeur d'Alene
- Twin Falls
- Lewiston
- Lewiston Orchards
- Post Falls
- Rexburg
- Moscow
- Eagle
- Kuna
- Ammon
- Chubbuck
- Hayden
- Mountain Home
- Blackfoot
- Garden City
- Jerome
- Burley
- Hailey
- Sandpoint
- Star
- Rathdrum
- Payette
- Middleton
- Emmett
- Rupert
- Weiser
- Preston
- Fruitland
- Shelley
- American Falls
- Buhl
- Rigby
- Lincoln
- Kimberly
Network affiliates in Idaho
| Station | Channel | City of license | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC KIVI-TV ABC | 6 | Nampa | Full power |
| CBS KLEW-TV CBS | 3 | Lewiston | Full power |
| NBC KPVI-DT NBC | 6 | Pocatello | Full power |
| NBC KTVB NBC | 7 | Boise | Full power |
| FOX KIDK Fox | 3.2 | Idaho Falls | Full power |
| FOX KNIN-TV Fox | 9 | Caldwell | Full power |
| CW KBOI-TV CW | 2.2 | Boise | Full power |
| CW KIFI-TV CW | 8.3 | Idaho Falls | Full power |
| CW KMVT CW | 11.2 | Twin Falls | Full power |
| ION KTRV-TV ION | 12 | Nampa | Full power |
| ION KVUI ION | 31 | Pocatello | Full power |
| TLM KKJB Telemundo | 39 | Boise | Full power |
| FOX KSVT-CD Fox | 43 | Twin Falls | Class A |
| ABC KSAW-LD ABC | 6 | Twin Falls | Low power |
| NBC KTFT-LD NBC | 7 | Twin Falls | Low power |
| FOX KXPI-LD Fox | 3.2 | Pocatello | Low power |
| CW KYUU-LD CW | 35 | Boise | Low power |
| UNI KEVA-LD Univision | 34 | Boise | 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.
- KAIDBoise
- KIPTTwin Falls
- KISU-TVPocatello
- KPIFPocatello
- KUID-TVMoscow
- KXTFTwin Falls
- K17ED-DPayette
- K27DX-DMcCall
- K31FD-DBoise
- K34NC-DFish Creek, Etc.
All cities and towns in Idaho (98)
- Aberdeen
- American Falls
- Ammon
- Arco
- Ashton
- Bellevue
- Blackfoot
- Boise
- Bonners Ferry
- Buhl
- Burley
- Caldwell
- Cascade
- Challis
- Chubbuck
- Coeur d'Alene
- Council
- Dalton Gardens
- Driggs
- Dubois
- Eagle
- Emmett
- Fairfield
- Filer
- Fort Hall
- Fruitland
- Garden City
- Glenns Ferry
- Gooding
- Grangeville
- Hailey
- Hansen
- Hayden
- Heyburn
- Hidden Spring
- Homedale
- Idaho City
- Idaho Falls
- Iona
- Jerome
- Kamiah
- Kellogg
- Ketchum
- Kimberly
- Kuna
- Lapwai
- Lewiston
- Lewiston Orchards
- Lincoln
- Malad City
- Marsing
- McCall
- Meridian
- Middleton
- Montpelier
- Moreland
- Moscow
- Mountain Home
- Murphy
- Nampa
- New Plymouth
- Nezperce
- Orofino
- Osburn
- Paris
- Parma
- Paul
- Payette
- Pinehurst
- Plummer
- Pocatello
- Ponderay
- Post Falls
- Preston
- Priest River
- Rathdrum
- Rexburg
- Rigby
- Rupert
- Saint Anthony
- Saint Maries
- Salmon
- Sandpoint
- Shelley
- Shoshone
- Soda Springs
- Spirit Lake
- Star
- Sugar City
- Sun Valley
- Twin Falls
- Tyhee
- Ucon
- Victor
- Wallace
- Weiser
- Wendell
- Wilder
Frequently asked questions
How many TV stations are in Idaho?
Idaho has 225 licensed TV transmitters: 18 full-power, 5 Class A, 42 low-power and 160 translator stations.
Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Idaho?
ABC (2 stations), CBS (1 station), NBC (3 stations), Fox (4 stations), CW (4 stations), ION (2 stations), Telemundo (1 station) and Univision (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 Boise?
See the Boise channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.
Do I need an outdoor antenna in Idaho?
In 44% of Idaho's cities and towns, yes. 56% 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.