TV stations in Maine

Maine has 31 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 12 network affiliates carrying ABC, NBC, Fox, CW, ION and MeTV. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.

Open Maine in the finder

31TV transmitters

15full-power

13Class A & low-power

3translators

Over-the-air TV in Maine at a glance

Maine has 31 licensed TV transmitters: 15 full-power, 1 Class A, 12 low-power and 3 translator stations. Translators make up 10% 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 Bangor (3), Portland (3), Presque Isle (3) and Poland Spring (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 Maine is WCSH (NBC) in Portland, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is WMTW near Poland Spring, 612 m (2,008 ft) above the surrounding terrain.

We ran a reception estimate for all 256 cities and towns in Maine. A typical place gets 8 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 28 miles away. 6% of places can use an indoor antenna, 41% need an amplified or attic antenna, 53% 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 86%, CBS 4%, NBC 82% and Fox 93%.

Eliot has the most stations in reach (21). Calais is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 70 miles away.

Largest cities in Maine

Network affiliates in Maine

Station	Channel	City of license	Type
ABC WMTW ABC	8	Poland Spring	Full power
ABC WVII-TV ABC	7	Bangor	Full power
NBC WCSH NBC	6	Portland	Full power
NBC WLBZ NBC	2	Bangor	Full power
FOX WGME-TV Fox	13.2	Portland	Full power
CW WABI-TV CW	5.2	Bangor	Full power
CW WAGM-TV CW	8.3	Presque Isle	Full power
CW WPXT CW	51	Portland	Full power
ION WIPL ION	35	Lewiston	Full power
NBC WWPI-CD NBC	16	Presque Isle	Class A
FOX WFVX-LD Fox	22	Bangor	Low power
MeTV WBGR-LD MeTV	18.1	Bangor/Dedham	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 Maine (256)

Frequently asked questions

How many TV stations are in Maine?

Maine has 31 licensed TV transmitters: 15 full-power, 1 Class A, 12 low-power and 3 translator stations.

Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Maine?

ABC (2 stations), NBC (3 stations), Fox (2 stations), CW (3 stations), ION (1 station) and MeTV (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 Portland?

See the Portland channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.

Do I need an outdoor antenna in Maine?

In 53% of Maine's cities and towns, yes. 47% 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.