Antenna aiming / Providence, RI
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Providence, RI

Every transmitter near Providence, with the compass direction and distance from town, and the one direction that picks up the most channels.

Transmitter directions from Providence, RI N E S W WGBH — 18° NNE, 36 mi WBZ — 18° NNE, 36 mi WCVB — 18° NNE, 36 mi WGBX — 18° NNE, 36 mi WSBK — 18° NNE, 36 mi WBTS — 18° NNE, 36 mi WFXZ — 19° NNE, 36 mi WYDN — 19° NNE, 36 mi WMFP — 19° NNE, 36 mi WBPX — 19° NNE, 36 mi WHDH — 19° NNE, 36 mi WFXT — 20° NNE, 36 mi WLVI — 20° NNE, 36 mi WLEK — 26° NNE, 55 mi WHDT — 27° NNE, 41 mi WCEA — 28° NNE, 41 mi WYCN — 51° NE, 20 mi WWDP — 57° ENE, 25 mi WPRI — 65° ENE, 10 mi WNAC — 65° ENE, 10 mi WJAR — 69° ENE, 9 mi WPVD — 69° ENE, 9 mi WLNE — 69° ENE, 9 mi WLWC — 96° E, 27 mi WVVH — 215° SW, 73 mi WPXQ — 218° SW, 28 mi WHPX — 235° SW, 48 mi WEDN — 241° WSW, 42 mi WSHM — 293° WNW, 54 mi WUTF — 339° NNW, 38 mi WUNI — 357° N, 39 mi WWJE — 357° N, 39 mi Providence

Point Northeast 39° on a compass — 73 miles of range covers this whole market

23/32stations in the beam
86/127free channels
68%of what's available
The other 9 stations sit west of you (280°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
9 of these stations broadcast on VHF frequencies. Many antennas sold as "HDTV" or "4K" are UHF-only and will miss them entirely, whichever way you point.

Every transmitter near Providence, RI

Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WGBH PBS 2 18° NNE 36 mi 2
WBZ CBS 4 18° NNE 36 mi 5
WCVB ABC 5 18° NNE 36 mi 4
WGBX PBS 44 18° NNE 36 mi 4
WSBK Independent 38 18° NNE 36 mi 7
WBTS NBC 15 18° NNE 36 mi 2
WFXZ Biz TV 24 19° NNE 36 mi 1
WYDN Daystar 48 19° NNE 36 mi 1
WMFP Shop LC 62 19° NNE 36 mi 3
WBPX Ion 68 19° NNE 36 mi 7
WHDH Independent 7 19° NNE 36 mi 2
WFXT FOX 25 20° NNE 36 mi 5
WLVI CW 56 20° NNE 36 mi 2
WLEK Sports First TV 22 26° NNE 55 mi 7
WHDT Infomercials 3 27° NNE 41 mi 1
WCEA Independent 26 28° NNE 41 mi 4
WYCN Telemundo 8 51° NE 20 mi 4
WWDP Roar 46 57° ENE 25 mi 5
WPRI CBS 12 65° ENE 10 mi 4
WNAC FOX 64 65° ENE 10 mi 4
WJAR NBC 10 69° ENE 9 mi 4
WPVD PBS 36 69° ENE 9 mi 4
WLNE Roar 6 69° ENE 9 mi 4
WLWC Bounce TV 28 96° E 27 mi 1
WVVH YTA TV 18 215° SW 73 mi 4
WPXQ Ion 69 218° SW 28 mi 8
WHPX Ion 26 235° SW 48 mi 8
WEDN PBS 53 241° WSW 42 mi 2
WSHM CBS 33 293° WNW 54 mi 7
WUTF UniMas 27 339° NNW 38 mi 5
WUNI Univision 66 357° N 39 mi 5
WWJE True Crime Network 50 357° N 39 mi 1

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Providence, RI?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 9.0 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 36 miles.

For Providence we would start with an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The towers are far enough out that an amplified indoor antenna, or one mounted in the attic, will pull in far more of the lineup than a basic flat antenna.

The towers around Providence are spread across 241° of the compass, so no single directional antenna will reach all of them. An omnidirectional antenna picks up every direction at once but with less reach, and a rotator lets a directional antenna turn toward whichever station you want.

Learn more about choosing an antenna

Before you climb the ladder

The limits of these numbers, and how to work around them

These are true bearings, not magnetic. A compass app on your phone usually reads magnetic north, which differs from true north by a few degrees depending on where you are in the country. For antenna aiming that difference is small, but if you are lining up a long-range directional antenna it is worth checking your local declination.

Bearings are measured from the centre of Providence. Over the distances involved, a few miles in any direction barely moves the angle, but your own address is what ultimately matters.

Hills and buildings are not in these numbers. A transmitter 20 miles away behind a ridge can be harder to receive than one 40 miles away across flat ground. Point at the recommended bearing first, then adjust a few degrees either way while watching your TV's signal meter.

See every channel available in Providence, RI, including what each station carries.

Calendar

What’s on, and when

Big games, races and live events coming up on free over-the-air TV, and the channel to find each one on. Full-season schedules show which games an antenna gets you for free.

Guides

Free TV explained

Guides, reviews and explainers on getting the most out of free over-the-air TV.