TV stations in Utah

Utah has 833 licensed TV transmitters: 20 full-power, 3 Class A, 25 low-power and 785 translator stations. Translators make up 94% of the total, well above the national share of 41%. That usually points to mountains or long rural distances that the main towers cannot cover on their own.

Most full-power and Class A stations are licensed to Salt Lake City (8), Ogden (5), Provo (3) and St. George (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 Utah is KUPX-TV (ION) in Provo, at 530 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KUTV near Salt Lake City, 1,269 m (4,163 ft) above the surrounding terrain.

We ran a reception estimate for all 180 cities and towns in Utah. A typical place gets 15 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 29 miles away. 23% of places can use an indoor antenna, 39% need an amplified or attic antenna, 38% 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 86%, CBS 86%, NBC 87% and Fox 87%.

Park City has the most stations in reach (29). Lewiston is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 70 miles away.