Los Angeles over the air
L.A. TV and Radio, Scene by Scene
Channels and frequencies from the FCC’s files, antennas for signals that come off Mount Wilson, and where to hear traffic, wildfire and earthquake news in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.
Free TV still comes through the air in Los Angeles, and almost all of it starts on the same mountaintops above the city. With an antenna you can watch the local newscasts, PBS SoCal and the big games without a monthly bill, as long as the antenna receives the VHF channels several major stations use.
The radio dial is just as local: public and college stations at the bottom of FM, all-news KNX on AM and stations in Spanish, Chinese and Korean. A local antenna installer can help with a rooftop mount, and a battery radio belongs in every earthquake kit.
Today’s call sheet
Twelve Scenes Over Three Days
Day 1 is the stations, Day 2 reception, Day 3 languages and coverage. Every row is one guide.
Band check
Will Your Antenna Get These Channels?
Tap the channels you watch. The check sorts them by the band they really use and tells you what your antenna needs.
Tap the channels you watch
Tap one or more channels to see which band they use.
On VHF
On UHF
Nearly all Los Angeles TV stations transmit from Mount Wilson and nearby peaks, NBC4 and ABC7 reported. A clear line toward those mountains matters as much as the band; see TV Reception in the San Fernando Valley: Why It Is Different and How to Fix It.
Facts from the FCC Public Inspection File, read October 2026. Channels can move; rescan your TV if a station disappears. The full list is in Los Angeles TV Channels: Every Free Over-the-Air Station.
Production notes
How Los Angeles Comes In Over the Air
Five short scenes on what decides what you get on an L.A. TV or radio.
FADE IN:
1EXT. MOUNT WILSON – DAY1
Most Los Angeles TV signals come from the mountains above the city. Reporting on the 2009 Station Fire, NBC4 and ABC7 said nearly all of the 22 Los Angeles TV stations transmit from Mount Wilson and nearby peaks such as Mount Lukens, and more than two-thirds of the region’s FM stations broadcast from there too. That is why a clear line toward those mountains matters more than distance. The full list of stations is in Los Angeles TV Channels: Every Free Over-the-Air Station. Several stations also share one RF channel, so channels can appear and disappear in pairs after a scan.
2INT. LIVING ROOM – THE ANTENNA2
Five major stations transmit on high-VHF channels: ABC7 on 7, KCAL on 9, FOX 11 on 11, KDOC on 12 and KCOP on 13. Many flat indoor antennas are built mainly for UHF, so check that yours receives VHF as well. Put it high, near a window that faces the mountains, and rescan after every move. Federal rules protect your right to an antenna on property you control. Start with The Best TV Antenna for Los Angeles: VHF, Mount Wilson and Placement. Most stations also carry extra program streams after a scan, shown as decimal channels such as 5.2 on KTLA.
3EXT. THE VALLEY – CANYON ROAD3
In the San Fernando Valley and the canyons, hills between your home and the transmitters matter more than miles. Two houses a street apart can get very different results. An attic or rooftop antenna aimed toward the mountains often fixes what a pricier indoor model cannot, and NextGen TV will not change the terrain. Keep any mast at least 1 1/2 times its height from power lines. See TV Reception in the San Fernando Valley: Why It Is Different and How to Fix It. If a channel vanishes, rescan before you move the antenna; stations sometimes move, and your TV only finds them again after a scan.
4INT. CAR – FREEWAY4
KNX 1070 has been all-news since 1968 and describes itself as a connection to the freeways. SoCal511 shows traffic alerts, freeway travel times, message boards and camera feeds. FM can fade in canyons and tunnels, so save an AM news station as well, and set up any traffic app before you start driving rather than on the road. More in L.A. Traffic Reports on the Radio, and the Official Tools That Back Them Up. KFI 640 carries talk and news as well. Morning TV newscasts run traffic too, and SoCal511 also shows park-and-ride lots and rail lines when a freeway is jammed.
5EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD – RED FLAG DAY5
USGS ShakeAlert earthquake warnings reach phones through Wireless Emergency Alerts, Android and iOS built-in alerts and the MyShake app, potentially seconds before strong shaking; drop, cover and hold on. A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather is happening or about to. Keep a battery radio, because most TV and FM signals come from the same mountaintops. Read Wildfire and Earthquake Alerts in Los Angeles: ShakeAlert, Red Flag Warnings, TV and Radio. When the 2020 Bobcat Fire threatened Mount Wilson, CBS Los Angeles reported crews protecting the towers. NOAA Weather Radio’s KWO37 on 162.550 MHz, from Mount Lukens, covers Los Angeles and Ventura counties for weather warnings.
CUT TO: THE GUIDES.
Takes
What Los Angeles Viewers and Listeners Ask
Take 1Why can’t my antenna pick up ABC7, KCAL or FOX 11?
They transmit on high-VHF channels: ABC7 on RF 7, KCAL on 9 and FOX 11 on 11, according to the FCC’s public files, as do KDOC on 12 and KCOP on 13. Many flat indoor antennas are built mainly for UHF. Choose one that clearly says it receives VHF, then rescan.
Take 2Where do Los Angeles TV signals come from?
Mostly from Mount Wilson and nearby peaks. NBC4 and ABC7 reported during the 2009 Station Fire that nearly all of the 22 Los Angeles TV stations transmit from those sites, along with more than two-thirds of the region’s FM stations.
Take 3Why do two channels disappear together?
Some stations share one RF channel: KCET and KLCS on 28, KSCI and PBS SoCal’s KOCE-TV on 18, and KXLA and KJLA on 30. If both of a pair vanish, the problem is the signal or your antenna; rescan first.
Take 4Which radio station has traffic reports?
KNX 1070 is Los Angeles’s all-news station and describes itself as a connection to the freeways. For official travel times, incidents and camera feeds, check SoCal511 before you leave.
Take 5How do I get earthquake early warnings?
USGS ShakeAlert alerts reach phones through Wireless Emergency Alerts, Android and iOS built-in alerts and the MyShake app. There is no app called ShakeAlert. If you feel shaking or get an alert, drop, cover and hold on.
Take 6What is a Red Flag Warning?
The National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning when critical fire weather conditions are ongoing or expected to occur shortly. It is a signal to be ready: follow local officials, know your evacuation route and keep a battery radio, because most L.A. TV and FM signals come from the same mountaintops.
Take 7Where can I hear Chinese or Korean radio in Los Angeles?
Multicultural Radio Broadcasting says KAZN 1300, KMRB 1430 and KAHZ 1600 carry Chinese programming in Mandarin and Cantonese, and Radio Korea broadcasts on AM 1540, licensed as KMPC.
Take 8Can my landlord or HOA ban my antenna?
Often not. The FCC’s Over-the-Air Reception Devices rule, 47 CFR 1.4000, limits restrictions that impair installing or using a TV antenna on property within your exclusive use or control. Common areas such as a shared roof are treated differently.