TV channels & antenna towers in Staten Island, New York

Staten Island is a city of about 469,000 people in New York. There are 81 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 41 full-power, 9 Class A, 27 low-power and 4 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 41 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 20 at good or strong strength.

41 of them are within 25 miles of Staten Island, 5 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 35 are more than 45 miles out. Six of the 20 network stations in range are licensed to New York, so most of the network channels you will find here come from New York's stations.

For the networks, the best local options 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 11 (WPIX), 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 (strong signal) and Univision (good signal). 22 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 NNE, at about 32°. The main network towers for Staten Island 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 12 miles northeast of Staten Island (33° NNE). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 12 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Staten Island at fair strength or better, 75% arrive from the northeast; the rest are spread across one other direction.

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

The farthest main network tower for Staten Island is WABC-TV (ABC), 15 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. If you only watch the closer stations, a smaller antenna may do.

WCBS-TV is only 12 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 41 stations at fair strength or better, Staten Island ranks 26th of 1,012 places in New York: more than the typical New York town (23). Its nearest major network tower is 12 miles away, against a state median of 22 miles.

34% of New York's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna. The nearest larger city is Brooklyn, 12 miles away.