List of television stations in Florida

The list of television stations in Florida encompasses the full-power, Class A, low-power, and translator stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve the state's ten Designated Market Areas (DMAs), providing over-the-air broadcasting to a population exceeding 23 million residents.^[1][2] Florida's television landscape is characterized by its ten DMAs, which include three of the nation's top 20 media markets: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota (ranked 11th nationally with approximately 2.2 million TV households), Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne (15th with 1.9 million TV households), and Miami-Fort Lauderdale (18th with 1.8 million TV households) as of 2024-2025.^[2] As of 2024, the state is home to 94 full-power television stations, predominantly affiliated with major English-language networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, alongside public broadcasters like PBS and a robust array of Spanish-language outlets including Univision and Telemundo.^[3] These stations deliver local news, weather, sports, and entertainment, with coverage extending from the Panhandle's smaller markets like Panama City (148th nationally) to the densely populated urban centers in the south.^[2] Reflecting Florida's demographic diversity, where Hispanic or Latino residents account for approximately 27% of the population (over 6 million people), Spanish-language broadcasting holds significant influence, particularly in South Florida markets like Miami, where stations such as WLTV-DT (Univision, channel 23) and WSCV (Telemundo, channel 51) serve as primary sources of bilingual content, community events, and culturally relevant programming.^[4] Ownership of these stations is dominated by large media groups, including Sinclair Broadcast Group, Hearst Television, and NBCUniversal, which operate multiple outlets across the state to maximize local reach amid the transition to ATSC 3.0 digital standards in select markets such as Tampa.^[3][5]

Full-power stations

Active full-power stations

Florida's active full-power television stations serve diverse designated market areas (DMAs), with the largest concentrations in South Florida due to high population density. These stations broadcast with effective radiated power (ERP) typically ranging from 50 kW to 1,000 kW, enabling wide coverage across urban and rural regions, though signal strength varies by terrain and frequency. Ownership is dominated by major groups like Paramount Global, Nexstar Media Group, and Univision, with recent post-2023 changes including Nexstar's pending acquisition of TEGNA stations announced in August 2025, which would consolidate holdings in markets like Tampa and Jacksonville if approved.^[6] In South Florida's Miami-Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce DMAs, stations often incorporate bilingual English-Spanish programming to address the significant Hispanic demographic, comprising over 40% of the population in these areas. The following table lists all active full-power stations by DMA, including call sign, virtual/RF channel, city of license, owner, primary network affiliation, and year established. Data is current as of November 2025.^[7] DMA ranks as of 2025-26 Nielsen estimates.^[2] Many stations in these markets, particularly in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, provide primary signal coverage extending over 50 miles from their transmitters, with ERP up to 1,000 kW for VHF channels like WSVN, ensuring robust over-the-air reception in urban cores.^[8] Historical stations like WTVJ, Florida's first TV station, continue operations after nearly eight decades.^[9]

Defunct full-power stations

In the early days of television in Florida, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, numerous full-power UHF stations launched amid high expectations but faced significant challenges due to the dominance of VHF channels in major markets like Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa. These UHF outlets often struggled with inferior reception on consumer sets lacking UHF tuning capabilities, limited advertising revenue, and competition from established VHF affiliates of the major networks (NBC, CBS, ABC). The Federal Communications Commission's All-Channel Receiver Act of 1964 eventually mandated UHF compatibility in new TVs, but many stations had already ceased operations by then, contributing to a landscape where VHF stations consolidated market share and independent or secondary network programming diminished in smaller designated market areas (DMAs).^[10][11] Florida's UHF failures exemplified broader national trends, with stations in cities like West Palm Beach and Pensacola signing off after just a few years, often citing financial insolvency or loss of network affiliations to incoming VHF competitors. For instance, in Jacksonville, the entry of VHF station WJXT (channel 4) in 1956 accelerated the demise of UHF pioneer WJHP-TV, leaving the market with reduced local content options until additional VHF outlets arrived. This pattern repeated across the state, where defunct UHF stations' shutdowns led to temporary gaps in local news and entertainment, forcing viewers to rely on distant signals or radio for regional coverage.^[11][12] More recently, the 2017 FCC incentive auction prompted several full-power stations to relinquish their spectrum for broadband repurposing, resulting in permanent closures. Public television outlets like WUSF-TV in Tampa and WEDQ in Daytona Beach sold their licenses for substantial sums—$18.7 million and $18.8 million, respectively—and ended over-the-air broadcasts in October 2017, shifting content to digital platforms and cable carriage. These shutdowns, while providing financial benefits to licensees such as the University of South Florida, reduced free over-the-air access to educational programming in their DMAs, highlighting the evolving economics of broadcast television amid spectrum reallocation.^[13] No full-power stations appear to have ceased operations in Florida between 2018 and 2025, per available FCC records.^[14] The following table catalogs notable defunct full-power stations in Florida, focusing on those with documented operational histories. Details include call sign, channel, city of license, years of operation, primary affiliation(s), and key reasons for closure where specified.

Low-power stations

Active low-power stations

Low-power television (LPTV) and Class A stations in Florida serve as vital supplements to full-power broadcasters, delivering targeted programming to specific locales and demographics where broader signals may not fully penetrate. Authorized by the FCC in 1982, these stations operate at reduced power levels—up to 15 kW for digital UHF—resulting in coverage radii typically under 10 miles, influenced by terrain and antenna height. This limited footprint enables them to address urban "dead zones" in cities like Miami and rural gaps in areas such as the Panhandle, often focusing on independent, ethnic, or community content rather than major network affiliates.^[21] In South Florida, particularly Miami-Dade County, Spanish-language programming dominates, reflecting the region's large Hispanic population; stations like WDFL-LD and WFUN-LD air independent formats such as Mira TV and Teveo, providing news, entertainment, and cultural content tailored to local viewers. Further north, in tourist-heavy Orlando, stations such as WATV-LD offer similar niche Spanish independent programming, sometimes optimized for mobile reception to reach visitors in high-traffic areas like theme parks. In the Panhandle, community-oriented outlets like WLUF-LP in Gainesville broadcast educational fare from the University of Florida, supporting rural audiences with public service content. Class A stations, which receive enhanced interference protections in exchange for meeting FCC public interest obligations, include examples like WHDO-CA in Orlando and WARP-CD in Tampa.^[3][21] Florida's low-power stations fully transitioned to digital format by the FCC's July 2021 deadline for LPTV operations, enabling high-definition broadcasts and subchannels for additional programming like MeTV or Ion affiliates on select outlets. No major LPTV-to-Class A conversions occurred in the state following the FCC's limited 2024-2025 opportunity for qualified stations, though a new application window for major changes and additions opened in late 2025, with revisions announced in November 2025 allowing phased filings for major modifications starting October 22, 2025, and new stations in early 2026, potentially leading to expansions.^[21][22][23] In coastal tourist spots like Key West, independent stations such as WCAY-CD (Key TV) innovate by emphasizing local events and visitor information, enhancing accessibility for seasonal populations.^[3] The following table enumerates select active low-power stations by Designated Market Area (DMA), highlighting key examples with their call signs, virtual and RF channels, cities of license, owners, and primary affiliations. This is not exhaustive but representative of ongoing operations as of 2025.

Defunct low-power stations

Low-power television (LPTV) and Class A stations in Florida have historically served niche local audiences, often in underserved rural or urban fringe areas, but many have ceased operations due to the challenges of the digital transition, spectrum repack displacements, and financial constraints. Established as a secondary broadcast service in 1982, LPTV stations provided affordable local programming, including community news, ethnic content, and rebroadcasts, evolving from earlier VHF translators in the pre-digital era. However, the FCC's mandate for all analog LPTV stations to transition to digital by July 13, 2021, or cease broadcasting led to widespread closures, as smaller operators struggled with equipment costs and channel relocations during the 2017-2020 broadcast television spectrum repack.^[27][28] These stations' typically short operational spans—often spanning the 1980s to 2010s—highlighted their vulnerability to interference from full-power signals and funding shortfalls, resulting in minimal market disruption upon closure compared to full-power stations. In Florida, where immigrant communities in areas like Miami and Orlando relied on ethnic-focused LPTV for culturally relevant content, competition from streaming services post-2020 exacerbated closures for some operators unable to adapt. Recent examples include stations affected by ongoing spectrum management and state funding cuts to public media, which indirectly impacted low-power broadcasters.^[29] The following table lists selected defunct or off-air LPTV and Class A stations in Florida, based on current licensing status; many never fully operated or went silent due to unbuilt construction permits or transition failures. These closures underscore the precarious role of LPTV in Florida's broadcasting landscape, where over 20 such stations have gone defunct or silent since 2020, often without significant regulatory intervention.^[30]

Translator and booster stations

Active translator and booster stations

Translator and booster stations in Florida primarily serve to extend the coverage of full-power television signals into remote, rural, or signal-obstructed areas, such as coastal regions, the Everglades, and northern rural counties where terrain or distance limits reception. These stations rebroadcast the parent station's signal without originating content, operating under FCC regulations that limit effective radiated power (ERP) to 250 watts for translators and allow boosters to enhance the primary station's own signal within its protected contour. In Florida's diverse geography, they are particularly vital for bridging gaps in the Panhandle, Keys, and inland areas prone to signal fade from water or vegetation. As of November 2025, active translators and boosters in Florida are concentrated in markets like Tampa, Miami, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Panama City, Tallahassee, and Key West, often affiliated with the parent station's network (e.g., PBS from WPBT or CBS from WTVY). No major new digital translators have been activated post-2023, though FCC filing windows for expansions opened in late 2025, potentially improving rural North Florida coverage. Technical specifications typically involve offset channels to avoid interference, with output channels in the UHF band for digital signals.^[31][22] The following table inventories key active translator and booster stations by market, including call sign, input/output channels, location served, and parent station. This list focuses on verified rebroadcasters and excludes low-power stations with original programming. These stations exemplify Florida-specific applications, such as W27EO-D combating coastal signal attenuation in the Gulf region and W31DC-D aiding Everglades-adjacent communities. Boosters, like those for WEDU in Tampa suburbs (not listed individually but operational via parent extensions), further enhance urban fringe coverage without separate call signs. All operate digitally per FCC ATSC 1.0 standards, with potential upgrades to ATSC 3.0 pending parental implementation.^[7][31]

Defunct translator and booster stations

Defunct translator and booster stations in Florida have largely been discontinued due to the nationwide shift from analog to digital broadcasting, which rendered many obsolete through improved signal efficiency and alternative distribution technologies like satellite and cable TV. The Federal Communications Commission mandated the end of analog operations for low-power television (LPTV) and TV translator stations, with an initial deadline of September 1, 2015, extended multiple times and finalized on July 13, 2021; stations unable to transition to digital were required to cease transmissions. This transition eliminated the need for numerous analog repeaters, particularly in rural regions where coverage gaps were filled by enhanced digital signals from parent stations. The 2016–2017 broadcast incentive auction further contributed to deactivations by reallocating spectrum for wireless services, displacing translators on affected channels and forcing relocations or shutdowns if compatible frequencies were unavailable. In Florida, this impacted stations in isolated areas like the Florida Keys, Panhandle, and central rural zones, where translators historically relayed signals from distant full-power affiliates—such as those from Alabama or Georgia markets—to border communities. Economic pressures, including equipment upgrade costs and declining over-the-air viewership, accelerated closures, with some translators converted to LPTV before eventual shutdown or simply abandoned due to redundancy. Booster stations, which amplified primary signals within the same market, saw even fewer survivals, as digital broadcasting's robustness reduced the necessity for such enhancements post-2009 full-power transition.^[32] The table below presents representative examples of defunct TV translator stations in Florida, drawn from FCC license deletion records; these include rebroadcasters that went silent in the 2020s, often tied to failed digital conversions or spectrum issues. Booster stations are rarer in records, but similar patterns apply, with analog boosters for urban markets like Miami discontinued by the early 2010s. These examples illustrate the broader trend, where over 20 Florida translators were deleted from FCC records between 2022 and 2025 alone, reflecting ongoing consolidation in the post-digital era.^[30] Earlier deactivations, such as analog boosters in South Florida markets around 2009–2010, were driven by the full-power DTV switchover, which obviated the need for signal amplification in core areas.

Digital broadcasting features

Subchannel configurations

In Florida, television stations utilize ATSC 1.0 standards to multicast multiple digital subchannels within a single 6 MHz channel allocation, enabling the delivery of diverse programming while adhering to a total transport stream bitrate of 19.39 Mbps.^[33] Common configurations include a primary high-definition (HD) channel at 720p or 1080i resolution, occupying 12-15 Mbps, paired with one or more standard-definition (SD) subchannels at 480i, each allocated 2-4 Mbps using MPEG-2 or H.264 compression to optimize bandwidth.^[33] This setup allows stations to offer network affiliates on the main channel alongside syndicated content, local inserts, or ethnic programming on subchannels, enhancing viewer options in a state with high population density and multicultural demographics. Subchannel configurations vary by Designated Market Area (DMA), reflecting local affiliations and audience needs. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale DMA, stations emphasize bilingual content due to the large Hispanic population. For instance: These include Spanish-language subchannels like TeleXitos on WSCV 51.2, catering to local viewers.^[34] In the Tampa-St. Petersburg DMA, configurations often feature robust syndication mixes: Here, FOX Weather on WTVT 13.6 provides region-specific updates tied to Florida's frequent severe weather.^[35] The Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne DMA showcases educational and entertainment-focused subchannels: PBS affiliate WUCF-TV offers Florida Channel on 24.5 for state government programming.^[36] Jacksonville's setup includes dedicated local weather subchannels: The duplicated weather subchannels on WJXX support emergency preparedness in hurricane-prone areas.^[37] In the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce DMA, overlapping with Miami influences bilingual options: Estrella TV on WPBF 25.2 serves Spanish-speaking communities.^[38] As of 2025, notable changes include the relocation of ABC affiliation in Miami from WPLG 10.1 to a new subchannel on WSVN 7.2, effective August 4, 2025, allowing WPLG to expand independent local programming while integrating ABC via subchannel multiplexing.^[39] Some stations have added subchannels for streaming service tie-ins, such as expanded MeTV variants, to bridge broadcast and on-demand viewing. Additionally, Florida's BEACON AI system enhances emergency alert dissemination across subchannels during crises.^[40] Technically, Florida's humid subtropical climate poses challenges, with high moisture levels causing signal attenuation of 3-10 dB through atmospheric absorption, particularly affecting UHF frequencies used by many subchannels.^[41] Stations mitigate this via forward error correction in ATSC encoding and elevated transmitter power, ensuring reliable multicast delivery despite frequent fog and rain. Compression techniques like H.264 further allow efficient bitrate sharing, preventing overflow in multi-subchannel streams.^[33]

ATSC 3.0 implementations

As of November 2025, ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, is operational in five major Florida markets: Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Orlando-Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce, providing enhanced broadcasting to over 80% of the state's population through voluntary deployments approved by the FCC.^[42] Key stations include WFTS-TV (ABC affiliate, RF channel 29, hosted by WFTS-TV), WTVT (Fox affiliate, RF channel 12), WFLA-TV (NBC affiliate, RF channel 7), WTSP (CBS affiliate, RF channel 10), and WMOR-TV (independent, RF channel 18) in Tampa, which launched in December 2020 as part of a collaborative effort by five stations covering major networks; WJXT (independent, RF channel 42, hosted by WCWJ on RF channel 17) and WJCT (PBS affiliate) in Jacksonville, which began broadcasting on December 10, 2024; WESH (NBC affiliate, RF channel 11, hosted by WKCF on RF channel 18) and WOFL (Fox affiliate, RF channel 35) in Orlando, which launched in July 2021; WTVJ (NBC affiliate, RF channel 31, hosted by WSCV on RF channel 30) in Miami, which launched in January 2023; and WWHB-CD (independent, RF channel 33, hosted by WTVX on RF channel 34) in West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce, which launched in March 2022.^[5][43][44] Coverage maps for these implementations, available via tools like AntennaWeb.org, show robust signal reach in urban and coastal areas. The rollout in Florida accelerated post-2020 following FCC authorization for voluntary ATSC 3.0 transitions in August 2020, with initial deployments in Tampa and Orlando marking the state's entry in 2020 and 2021 amid broader national pilots. Subsequent FCC approvals facilitated market-specific partnerships, such as the Tampa consortium in 2020, Miami in 2023, and Jacksonville's cooperative launch in 2024, supported by rule modifications in October 2025 that relaxed simulcast requirements to encourage faster adoption.^[5][43][45] No statewide initiatives exist, but local efforts by station groups like Gray Television in Tampa and Tegna in Jacksonville have driven progress, with over 20 Florida stations now transmitting ATSC 3.0 signals alongside legacy ATSC 1.0 for compatibility.^[42] Implementations in Florida leverage ATSC 3.0's core features, including 4K ultra-high-definition video at up to 120 frames per second, high dynamic range (HDR) for improved color and contrast, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio, enhancing viewer experiences on compatible receivers. Interactive applications enable on-demand content and personalized program guides, while datacasting supports non-video services like targeted advertising and data delivery. In Florida, these capabilities are particularly utilized for advanced emergency alerting during hurricane season, allowing geo-targeted notifications with rich media such as evacuation maps, live video feeds, and device wake-up functions to reach viewers even if sets are off, as demonstrated in pilots tied to events like Hurricane Ian in 2022.^[46] Challenges in Florida's ATSC 3.0 deployments include coordinating host-guest arrangements for signal simulcasting, which requires FCC-approved partnerships to maintain ATSC 1.0 coverage, and integrating subchannels without disrupting existing multicast services. Florida's flat terrain generally supports strong signal propagation with minimal multipath interference compared to hilly regions, aiding wide-area coverage, though urban density in markets like Miami can necessitate additional boosters for indoor reception. Ongoing issues involve consumer adoption, with only about 75 ATSC 3.0-compatible TV models available retail in 2025, and encryption protocols that some broadcasters apply, potentially limiting access on older antennas.^[47][44][48]