TV channels & antenna towers in Watchung, New Jersey

Watchung is a town of about 5,920 people in New Jersey. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 79 licensed TV transmitters: 39 full-power, 9 Class A, 27 low-power and 4 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 42 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 19 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 20 transmitters are within 25 miles, 26 between 25 and 45 miles, and 33 farther out. Six of the 20 network stations in range are licensed to New York, NY, so most of the network channels you will find here come from New York's stations.

The strongest network signals here are ABC on channel 7 (WABC-TV), CBS on channel 2 (WCBS-TV), NBC on channel 4 (WNBC), Fox on channel 5 (WNYW), CW on channel 17 (WPHL-TV), ION on channel 31 (WPXN-TV), Telemundo on channel 47 (WNJU), Univision on channel 41 (WXTV-DT) and MeTV on channel 33.1 (WJLP). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (good signal) and Univision (good signal). 20 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna ENE, at about 76°. The main network towers for Watchung sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Five network stations, WCBS-TV, WNYW, WNBC, WNJU and WPXN-TV, transmit from the same tower site about 24 miles east of Watchung (77° ENE). Point at that site and a single antenna setting picks them all up.

Of the 17 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Watchung at fair strength or better, 53% arrive from the east; the rest are spread across two other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Watchung is WABC-TV (ABC), 26 miles away with a fair estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

WNJB is only 3.0 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 42 stations at fair strength or better, Watchung ranks 80th of 537 places in New Jersey: more than the typical New Jersey town (37). Its nearest major network tower is 24 miles away, against a state median of 26 miles.

50% of New Jersey's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is North Plainfield, 1.4 miles away.