TV stations in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has 84 licensed TV transmitters: 28 full-power, 5 Class A, 48 low-power and 3 translator stations. Translators make up 4% 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 Ponce (6), San Juan (5), Mayaguez (4) and Fajardo (3). 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 Puerto Rico is WAPA-TV in San Juan, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is WSUR-DT near Ponce, 857 m (2,812 ft) above the surrounding terrain.

We ran a reception estimate for all 219 cities and towns in Puerto Rico. A typical place gets 41 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 15 miles away. 30% of places can use an indoor antenna, 28% need an amplified or attic antenna, 42% 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: NBC 93% and Fox 13%.

Palmarejo has the most stations in reach (50). Esperanza is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 38 miles away.