A few years ago, the FCC auctioned off locals forcing many channels to switch channel numbers. This auction freed up space for things like 5G. Now the time has come for many local TV stations to switch channel numbers, meaning you need to rescan your antenna. Now over the next year or so over a 1,000 TV stations will be changing their TV channels. A large number of them will be doing so this fall meaning you will need to rescan your antenna if you notice a channel vanishes.
That is in addition to all the new locals that went live earlier this year and will be rolling out later this year. One or more of them may be right where you live; however, if you don’t look you will never know they are there.
The ability to scan your antenna with your TV to only show stations you can pick up is a great feature. It prevents you from having to manually program your TV or skip channels full of static, but at the same time, it hides any new stations that have been released.
If you need help rescanning your antenna, contact the FCC help desk call center by dialing 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322) and pressing “6.” The call center is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern time, seven days a week, to enable consumers throughout the country to obtain assistance during evening and weekend hours.
Not that long ago I rescanned my TV to find two new different channels: Laff and Comet, giving me access to great comedy and sci-fi content that I had been missing out on for some time.
So, take a few minutes and rescan for new channels. If you are away from home and would like to check if there are any new channels, visit Antenna Web to see what channels will be moving in your area.
I suggest rescanning channels every few months because over-the-air TV stations are growing in number. Hopefully, you will be as lucky as I was and find a few new stations to enjoy.
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