Will my TV stop working in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Minneapolis-St. Paul · market #15 of 210
Not yet — but your market has already started the switch.
- Stations already on NextGen TV (3.0)
- 7 of 18
- since August 16, 2023
- Proposed shutoff of old (1.0) signals
- February 2028
- Wave 1 · NAB proposal, not yet adopted by the FCC
- Earliest the rules could change
- July 2027
- Current FCC rule keeps 1.0 simulcasts through July 17, 2027
What this means today: every full-power station in Minneapolis-St. Paul is still sending a signal your current antenna TV can receive. 3 stations (WUCW, WCMN-LD, KTCI-TV) have become a NextGen TV “host,” so its old-format programming now comes from a different station’s signal — rescanning your TV picks it up.
What’s coming: broadcasters have asked the FCC to let stations in the 55 largest markets switch off old-format signals starting February 2028. If that happens, TVs without an ATSC 3.0 tuner will need a converter box to keep receiving these channels. The FCC is expected to decide by the end of 2026.
Every station in Minneapolis-St. Paul
“On 3.0” means the station’s programming is available in NextGen TV format. “3.0 host” means the station’s transmitter carries the new format only, and its old-format programming moved to another station’s signal (rescan to find it). Source: FCC licensing records.
| Ch. | Station | Network | NextGen TV | Old (1.0) signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | KTCA-TV St. Paul, MN | PBS | On 3.0 via KTCI-TV · since October 25, 2023 | Still on the air |
| 4 | WCCO-TV Minneapolis, MN | CBS | On 3.0 via WUCW · since August 16, 2023 | Still on the air |
| 5 | KSTP-TV St. Paul, MN | ABC | On 3.0 via WUCW · since August 16, 2023 | Still on the air |
| 9 | KAWE Bemidji, MN | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 9 | KMSP-TV Minneapolis, MN | FOX | On 3.0 via WUCW · since August 16, 2023 | Still on the air |
| 10 | KWCM-TV Appleton, MN | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 11 | KARE Minneapolis, MN | NBC | On 3.0 via WUCW · since August 16, 2023 | Still on the air |
| 12 | KCCW-TV Walker, MN | CBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 17 | KTCI-TV St. Paul, MN | PBS | 3.0 host since October 25, 2023 | Moved to another station |
| 22 | KAWB Brainerd, MN | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 23 | WUCW Minneapolis, MN | CW | 3.0 host since August 16, 2023 | Moved to another station |
| 26 | KFTC Bemidji, MN | MNT | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 29 | WFTC Minneapolis, MN | MNT | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 41 | KPXM-TV St. Cloud, MN | ION Bounce Grit Mystery Laff CourtTV Busted QVC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 42 | KSAX Alexandria, MN | ABC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 43 | KRWF Redwood Falls, MN | ABC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 45 | KSTC-TV Minneapolis, MN | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | KONC Alexandria, MN | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
38 low-power stations in this market (not covered by the proposed shutoff rules)
- K14RB-D
- KMBD-LD
- K33LB-D
- K15LS-D
- K29MQ-D
- K19CV-D
- K16MV-D
- K17BV-D
- K28LL-D
- K36KW-D
- K25II-D
- K33DB-D
- K22DV-D
- K30AF-D
- K18DG-D
- K14LZ-D
- K36KH-D
- K16CO-D
- K20AC-D
- K27KN-D
- K34AF-D
- K26CL-D
- K32EB-D
- WCMN-LD · 3.0
- KJNK-LD
- KKTW-LD
- WDMI-LD
- K21GN-D
- K21NU-D
- KHVM-LD
- KTCJ-LD
- K29NY-D
- KWJM-LD
- KMWE-LD
- W26FG-D
- K16KM-D
- WUMN-LD
- K17NW-D
What to do now
- Rescan your TV. If a channel disappeared recently, it probably moved to a host station’s signal. Settings → Channels → Auto scan.
- Find out if your TV already has a 3.0 tuner. Use the tuner check. If it does, you’re done.
- Don’t buy a converter box yet unless you want 3.0 features now. Prices are falling and the FCC hasn’t set a date. We’ll tell you when it’s time.