TV stations in South Dakota
South Dakota has 61 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 14 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.
Over-the-air TV in South Dakota at a glance
South Dakota has 61 licensed TV transmitters: 25 full-power, 0 Class A, 24 low-power and 12 translator stations. Translators make up 20% 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 Sioux Falls (6), Rapid City (5), Pierre (2) and Lead (2). 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 South Dakota is KDLV-TV (Fox) in Mitchell, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KSFY-TV near Sioux Falls, 610 m (2,001 ft) above the surrounding terrain.
We ran a reception estimate for all 101 cities and towns in South Dakota. A typical place gets 4 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 31 miles away. 19% of places can use an indoor antenna, 35% need an amplified or attic antenna, 47% 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 54%, NBC 22% and Fox 79%.
Harrisburg has the most stations in reach (19). Mound City is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 69 miles away.
Largest cities in South Dakota
- Sioux Falls
- Rapid City
- Aberdeen
- Brookings
- Watertown
- Mitchell
- Yankton
- Pierre
- Huron
- Spearfish
- Vermillion
- Brandon
- Box Elder
- Rapid Valley
- Madison
- Sturgis
- Belle Fourche
- Harrisburg
- Tea
- Dell Rapids
- Hot Springs
- Mobridge
- Canton
- Pine Ridge
- Milbank
- Hartford
- Lead
- Blackhawk
- Winner
- North Sioux City
- Dakota Dunes
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Sisseton
- Chamberlain
- Redfield
- Flandreau
- North Spearfish
- Lennox
- Summerset
- Fort Pierre
Network affiliates in South Dakota
| Station | Channel | City of license | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC KPRY-TV ABC | 4 | Pierre | Full power |
| ABC KSFY-TV ABC | 13 | Sioux Falls | Full power |
| NBC KNBN NBC | 21 | Rapid City | Full power |
| FOX KDLT-TV Fox | 46.2 | Sioux Falls | Full power |
| FOX KDLV-TV Fox | 5.2 | Mitchell | Full power |
| FOX KEVN-TV Fox | 7 | Rapid City | Full power |
| CW KCLO-TV CW | 15.2 | Rapid City | Full power |
| CW KDLO-TV CW | 3.4 | Florence | Full power |
| CW KELO-TV CW | 11.4 | Sioux Falls | Full power |
| CW KPLO-TV CW | 6.4 | Reliance | Full power |
| ION KSFL-TV ION | 36 | Sioux Falls | Full power |
| MeTV KHME MeTV | 23.1 | Rapid City | Full power |
| MeTV KQME MeTV | 5.1 | Lead | Full power |
| FOX KEVN-LD Fox | 7 | Rapid City | 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.
- KBHE-TVRapid City
- KCSD-TVSioux Falls
- KDSD-TVAberdeen
- KESD-TVBrookings
- KIVV-TVLead
- KPSD-TVEagle Butte
- KQSD-TVLowry
- KTSD-TVPierre
- KTTMHuron
- KTTWSioux Falls
- KUSD-TVVermillion
- KZSD-TVMartin
All cities and towns in South Dakota (101)
- Aberdeen
- Alexandria
- Armour
- Baltic
- Belle Fourche
- Beresford
- Bison
- Blackhawk
- Box Elder
- Brandon
- Britton
- Brookings
- Buffalo
- Burke
- Canton
- Chamberlain
- Clark
- Clear Lake
- Colonial Pine Hills
- Crooks
- Custer
- Dakota Dunes
- De Smet
- Deadwood
- Dell Rapids
- Dupree
- Eagle Butte
- Elk Point
- Faulkton
- Flandreau
- Fort Pierre
- Fort Thompson
- Freeman
- Garretson
- Gettysburg
- Gregory
- Groton
- Harrisburg
- Hartford
- Hayti
- Highmore
- Hot Springs
- Howard
- Huron
- Ipswich
- Kadoka
- Kennebec
- Lake Andes
- Lead
- Lemmon
- Lennox
- Leola
- Madison
- Martin
- McIntosh
- Milbank
- Miller
- Mission
- Mitchell
- Mobridge
- Mound City
- Murdo
- North Eagle Butte
- North Sioux City
- North Spearfish
- Oglala
- Olivet
- Onida
- Parker
- Parkston
- Philip
- Pierre
- Pine Ridge
- Plankinton
- Platte
- Porcupine
- Rapid City
- Rapid Valley
- Redfield
- Rosebud
- Salem
- Selby
- Sioux Falls
- Sisseton
- Spearfish
- Springfield
- Sturgis
- Summerset
- Tea
- Timber Lake
- Tyndall
- Vermillion
- Volga
- Wagner
- Watertown
- Webster
- Wessington Springs
- White River
- Winner
- Woonsocket
- Yankton
Frequently asked questions
How many TV stations are in South Dakota?
South Dakota has 61 licensed TV transmitters: 25 full-power, 0 Class A, 24 low-power and 12 translator stations.
Which TV networks broadcast over the air in South Dakota?
ABC (2 stations), NBC (1 station), Fox (4 stations), CW (4 stations), ION (1 station) and MeTV (2 stations). Some public, religious and independent stations are not tagged with a network in our data.
What channels can I get with an antenna in Sioux Falls?
See the Sioux Falls channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.
Do I need an outdoor antenna in South Dakota?
In 47% of South Dakota's cities and towns, yes. 53% 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.