TV stations in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 34 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 13 network affiliates carrying ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, ION and Telemundo. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.

Open Massachusetts in the finder

34TV transmitters

21full-power

10Class A & low-power

3translators

Over-the-air TV in Massachusetts at a glance

Massachusetts has 34 licensed TV transmitters: 21 full-power, 2 Class A, 8 low-power and 3 translator stations. Translators make up 9% 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 Boston (9), Springfield (4), New Bedford (2) and Cambridge (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 Massachusetts is WFXT (Fox) in Boston, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is WNYA near Pittsfield, 437 m (1,434 ft) above the surrounding terrain.

We ran a reception estimate for all 390 cities and towns in Massachusetts. A typical place gets 29 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 19 miles away. 12% of places can use an indoor antenna, 63% need an amplified or attic antenna, 25% 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 100%, CBS 99%, NBC 96% and Fox 99%.

Fiskdale has the most stations in reach (41). Nantucket is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 73 miles away.

Largest cities in Massachusetts

Network affiliates in Massachusetts

Station	Channel	City of license	Type
ABC WCVB-TV ABC	5	Boston	Full power
ABC WGGB-TV ABC	40	Springfield	Full power
CBS WBZ-TV CBS	4	Boston	Full power
FOX WFXT Fox	25	Boston	Full power
CW WLVI CW	56	Cambridge	Full power
CW WWLP CW	22.2	Springfield	Full power
ION WBPX-TV ION	68	Boston	Full power
UNI WUNI Univision	66	Marlborough	Full power
MeTV WLNE-TV MeTV	6.5	New Bedford	Full power
CW WFXQ-CD CW	28.2	Springfield	Class A
CBS WSHM-LD CBS	33	Springfield	Low power
TLM WDMR-LD Telemundo	14	Springfield	Low power
UNI WHTX-LD Univision	43	Springfield	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 Massachusetts (390)

Frequently asked questions

How many TV stations are in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has 34 licensed TV transmitters: 21 full-power, 2 Class A, 8 low-power and 3 translator stations.

Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Massachusetts?

ABC (2 stations), CBS (2 stations), Fox (1 station), CW (3 stations), ION (1 station), Telemundo (1 station), Univision (2 stations) 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 Boston?

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

Do I need an outdoor antenna in Massachusetts?

In 25% of Massachusetts's cities and towns, yes. 75% 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.