TV channels & antenna towers in Athens, Tennessee

With roughly 13,700 residents, Athens is a town in Tennessee. Our map shows 52 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 17 full-power, 5 Class A, 15 low-power and 15 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 17 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 7 at good or strong strength.

1 of them is within 25 miles of Athens, 10 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 41 are more than 45 miles out. Four of the 11 network stations in range are licensed to Knoxville, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Knoxville's stations.

The strongest network signals here are ABC on channel 6 (WATE-TV), CBS on channel 8 (WVLT-TV), NBC on channel 3 (WRCB), Fox on channel 43 (WTNZ), CW on channel 20 (WBXX-TV), ION on channel 54 (WPXK-TV) and Trinity on channel 23 (WELF-TV). 6 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

The main network towers around Athens are in different directions: ABC 43° NE (53 mi), CBS 43° NE (52 mi), NBC 245° WSW (45 mi) and Fox 43° NE (52 mi). Aim at the farthest one you want first, or use a multi-directional antenna.

Five network stations, WTNZ, WVLT-TV, WATE-TV, WBIR-TV and WPXK-TV, transmit from the same tower site about 52 miles northeast of Athens (43° NE). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 11 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Athens at fair strength or better, 45% arrive from the southwest; the rest are spread across two other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Athens is WATE-TV (ABC), 53 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an outdoor directional antenna here. If you only watch the closer stations, a smaller antenna may do.

At this distance a low-noise preamplifier mounted on the mast, right below the antenna, helps more than an amplifier near the TV. It boosts the signal before cable loss eats into it. See the amplifier guide.

With 17 stations at fair strength or better, Athens ranks 87th of 299 places in Tennessee: more than the typical Tennessee town (15). Its nearest major network tower is 45 miles away, against a state median of 23 miles.

31% of Tennessee's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an outdoor directional antenna. The nearest larger city is Cleveland, 25 miles away.