CHICAGO AREA TELEVISION STATIONS
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Compiled by Christos Rigas
August 2001
Last update February 2006
The following is a list of Chicago area television stations. This list shows all the Chicago area stations that are on the air or have a construction permit. Also provided is a list of Chicago area digital television stations, but not all of these stations are currently broadcasting. If you live in the Chicago area, you should be able to receive the signals of these stations. Reception may vary, depending on your location. An outdoor antenna equipped with a rotor should improve your reception.
The first column of this list is the channel number, followed by the video frequency and the audio frequency (both listed in MegaHertz), then by the station’s call letters, followed by the city/state of license, programming format/network affiliation, antenna power in kilowatts (kW), antenna height in meters, and finally transmitter location/other notes.
Abbreviations used: CP: Construction Permit issued by FCC, APP: application to FCC, LPTV: Low Power TV
Analog Stations
| Channel Number | Video Frequency (MHz) | Audio Frequency (MHz) | Call Letters | City of license | Programming Format/Station Slogan/Owner | Power (kW) | Antenna Height (Meters) | Antenna Coordinates | Antenna Location/Notes |
| 2 | 55.25 | 59.75 | WBBM | Chicago, IL | CBS | 26.4 | 454.3 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 4 | 67.25 | 71.75 | W04CQ | Chesterton, IN | Aqua Land (LPTV) | 0.115 | 77 | 41:36:16N/87:07:22W | I-94/Rak Rd. |
| 5 | 77.25 | 81.75 | WMAQ | Chicago, IL | NBC Telemundo | 20 | 494 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 7 | 175.25 | 179.75 | WLS | Chicago, IL | ABC | 55 | 514 | 41:52:44N/87:38:08W | Sears Tower |
| 9 | 187.25 | 191.75 | WGN | Chicago, IL | WB | 110 | 414 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 11 | 199.25 | 203.75 | WTTW | Chicago, IL | PBS | 60.3 | 499 | 41:52:44N/87:38:08W | Sears Tower |
| 13 | 211.25 | 215.75 | W13BQ | Portage, IN | Studio 5 (LPTV) | 0.085 | 33 | 41:37:28N/87:11:28W | Ogden Dunes |
| 13 | 211.25 | 215.75 | WOCK-CA | Chicago, IL | KM LPTV | 3 | 361.3 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 18 | 495.25 | 499.75 | W18AT | Gary, IN | LeSea BC (LPTV) | 26.3 | 49 | 41:36:10N/87:20:15W | Rt.20/Rt. 53 |
| 20 | 507.25 | 511.75 | WYCC | Chicago, IL | PBS | 2,430 | 377 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 22 | 519.25 | 523.75 | W64CQ | Arlington Heights, IL | TBN | 1.4 | 76 | 42:08:14N/87:58:57W | Arlington Hts Rd./Dundee Rd. |
| 23 | 525.25 | 529.75 | WWME-CA | Chicago, IL | ME TV | 19.6 | 473 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 24 | 531.25 | 535.75 | W24AJ | Aurora, IL | Nelson TV (LPTV) | 7 | 133.2 | 41:36:23N/88:27:09W | Rt. 47/Legion Rd. south of Yorkville |
| 26 | 543.25 | 547.75 | WCIU | Chicago, IL | The U | 5,000 | 475 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 30 | 567.25 | 571.75 | WSPY-LP | Plano, IL | WSPY-TV (LPTV) | 3.3 | 145 | 41:39:55N/88:34:34W | Pratt Rd/Abe St. |
| 32 | 579.25 | 583.75 | WFLD | Chicago, IL | FOX | 5,000 | 432.3 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 34 | 591.25 | 595.75 | WEDE-CA | Arlington Heights, IL | First United Inc. | 50 | 444 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 38 | 612.25 | 619.75 | WCPX | Chicago, IL | PAX | 3,630 | 508.1 | 41:52:44N/87:38:08W | John Hancock Center |
| 41 | 633.25 | 637.75 | WOCH-CA | Chicago, IL | KM LPTV | 25 | 355.7 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 44 | 651.25 | 655.75 | WSNS | Chicago, IL | NBC Telemundo | 5,000 | 471 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 46 | 663.25 | 667.75 | W52BR | Arbury Hills, IL | Marcia Cohen (CP Only) | 150 | 370 | 41:53:06N/87:37:17W | Aon Center |
| 48 | 678.25 | 682.75 | WFBT-CA | Blue Island, IL | Weigel Broadcasting | 20 | 119 | 41:32:11N/87:51:17W | Arbor Ln/Willow Ln |
| 48 | 678.25 | 682.75 | WFBT-CA | Chicago, IL | Weigel Broadcasting | 150 | 0 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 50 | 687.25 | 691.75 | WPWR | Gary, IL | UPN | 5,000 | 495 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 54 | 711.25 | 715.75 | W54BE | Sugar Grove, IL | Waubonsee Community College | 1.69 | 58 | 41:47:50N/88:27:26W | Waubonsee Community College |
| 54 | 711.25 | 715.75 | W54BK | Chesterton, IN | LeSea BC (LPTV) | 16 | 120 | 41:31:22N/87:01:28W | N. County Rd 200E/E. County Rd 600N |
| 54 | 711.25 | 715.75 | WFBT-CA | Blue Island, IL | Weigel Broadcasting | 21 | 119 | 41:32:11N/87:51:17W | Arbor Ln/Willow Ln |
| 55 | 717.25 | 721.75 | WLFM-LP | Rochelle, IL | Venture Technologies | 150 | 383 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 56 | 723.25 | 727.75 | WYIN | Gary, IN | PBS | 1,350 | 298.6 | 41:20:56N/87:24:02W | Crown Pont , IN near Cedar Lake |
| 57 | 729.25 | 733.75 | W57DN | Elgin, IL | TBN | 93 | 98 | 41:59:54N/88:14:33W | Bartlett Rd/Gifford Rd |
| 60 | 747.25 | 751.75 | WXFT | Aurora, IL | TeleFutura | 5,000 | 495 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 61 | 753.25 | 757.75 | WCHU-LP | Rochelle, IL | Venture Technologies | 150 | 383 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 62 | 759.25 | 763.75 | WJYS | Hammond, IN | Jovon BC | 5,000 | 144 | 41:33:10N/87:4709W | I-80/Oak Park Av., Tinley Park |
| 66 | 783.25 | 787.75 | WGBO | Joliet, IL | Univision | 5,000 | 393 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 68 | 795.25 | 805.75 | W68DO | Palatine, IL | TBN | 12.6 | 455 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | John Hancock Center (CP: Ch. 40) |
Digital Stations
| Channel | Video Frequency (MHz) | Audio Frequency (MHz) | Call Letters | City of license | Programming Format/Station Slogan/Owner | Power (kW) | Antenna Height (Meters) | Antenna Coordinates | Antenna Location |
| 3 | 61.25 | 65.75 | WBBM-DT | Chicago, IL | CBS | 4.4 | 447.7 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center (APP: Ch. 11) |
| 17 | 489.25 | 493.75 | WYIN-DT | Gary, IN | PBS | 300 | 281 | 41:20:56N/87:24:02W | Crown Pont , IN near Cedar Lake (APP: Sears Tower) |
| 19 | 501.25 | 505.75 | WGN-DT | Chicago, IL | WB | 645 | 452 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 21 | 513.25 | 517.75 | WYCC-DT | Chicago, IL | PBS | 98.9 | 377 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 27 | 549.25 | 553.75 | WCIU-DT | Chicago, IL | WCIU-TV | 160 | 508.1 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 29 | 561.25 | 565.75 | WMAQ-DT | Chicago, IL | NBC Telemundo | 350 | 507 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 31 | 573.25 | 577.75 | WFLD-DT | Chicago, IL | FOX | 200 | 474 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 36 | 603.25 | 607.75 | WJYS-DT | Hammond, IN | Jovon BC | 50 | 456 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 43 | 645.25 | 649.75 | WCPX-DT | Chicago, IL | PAX | 200 | 508.1 | 41:52:44N/87:38:08W | Sears Tower |
| 45 | 657.25 | 661.75 | WSNS-DT | Chicago, IL | NBC Telemundo | 467 | 472 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 47 | 669.25 | 673.75 | WTTW-DT | Chicago, IL | PBS | 300 | 465 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 51 | 693.25 | 697.75 | WPWR-DT | Gary, IN | UPN | 1,000 | 522 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 52 | 699.25 | 703.75 | WLS-DT | Chicago, IL | ABC | 153.6 | 514 | 41:52:44N/87:38:10W | Sears Tower |
| 53 | 705.25 | 709.75 | WGBO-DT | Joliet, IL | Univision | 180 | 401 | 41:53:56N/87:37:23W | John Hancock Center |
| 59 | 741.25 | 745.75 | WXFT-DT | Aurora, IL | TeleFutura | 200 | 508.1 | 41:52:44N/87:38:08W | Sears Tower |