TV channels & antenna towers in Charleston, West Virginia

With roughly 49,700 residents, Charleston is a city in West Virginia. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 30 licensed TV transmitters: 13 full-power, 1 Class A, 13 low-power and 3 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 11 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 8 at good or strong strength.

4 of them are within 25 miles of Charleston, 12 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 14 are more than 45 miles out. Three of the 10 network stations in range are licensed to Parkersburg, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Parkersburg's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 8 (WCHS-TV), CBS on channel 13 (WOWK-TV), NBC on channel 3 (WSAZ-TV), Fox on channel 59.2 (WVNS-TV), CW on channel 30 (WQCW) and ION on channel 29 (WLPX-TV). 5 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 WNW, at about 288°. The main network towers for Charleston sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Four network stations, WOWK-TV, WLPX-TV, WSAZ-TV and WQCW, transmit from the same tower site about 33 miles west of Charleston (289° WNW). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 6 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Charleston at fair strength or better, 83% arrive from the west; the rest are spread across one other direction.

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

The farthest main network tower for Charleston is WSAZ-TV (NBC), 34 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

WVNS-TV (Fox), 64 miles southeast, is the exception: the nearest listed affiliate of its network is far enough away to need an outdoor antenna. Some local stations in our data carry no network tag, so check the other stations table below before buying a bigger antenna just for that one.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

With 11 stations at fair strength or better, Charleston ranks 75th of 163 places in West Virginia: the same as the typical West Virginia town (11). Its nearest major network tower is 15 miles away, against a state median of 16 miles.

55% of West Virginia's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna.