Will my TV stop working in Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota)?
Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) · market #13 of 210
Not yet — but your market has already started the switch.
- Stations already on NextGen TV (3.0)
- 5 of 20
- since December 1, 2020
- 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 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota) is still sending a signal your current antenna TV can receive. One station (WMOR-TV) has 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 Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota)
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | WARP-CD Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL · Class A | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | WZRA-CD Oldsmar, FL · Class A | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | WSPF-CD St. Petersburg, FL · Class A | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | WXAX-CD Clearwater, FL · Class A | MAGNIFICENT MOVIES NETWORK | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | WYKE-CD Wildwood, FL · Class A | CTN | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| — | WRMD-CD Tampa, FL · Class A | TELEMUNDO | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 3 | WEDU Tampa, FL | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 8 | WFLA-TV Tampa, FL | NBC | On 3.0 via WMOR-TV · since December 1, 2020 | Still on the air |
| 10 | WTSP St. Petersburg, FL | CBS | On 3.0 via WMOR-TV · since December 1, 2020 | Still on the air |
| 13 | WTVT Tampa, FL | Fox | On 3.0 via WMOR-TV · since December 1, 2020 | Still on the air |
| 16 | WEDQ Tampa, FL | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 22 | WCLF Clearwater, FL | CTN | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 28 | WFTS-TV Tampa, FL | ABC | On 3.0 via WMOR-TV · since December 1, 2020 | Still on the air |
| 32 | WMOR-TV Lakeland, FL | Independent | 3.0 host since December 1, 2020 | Moved to another station |
| 38 | WTTA St. Petersburg, FL | The CW | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 40 | WWSB Sarasota, FL | ABC; Outlaw | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 44 | WTOG St. Petersburg, FL | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 50 | WVEA-TV Tampa, FL | Univision | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 62 | WFTT-TV Venice, FL | The Church of Scientology | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 66 | WXPX-TV Bradenton, FL | Independent | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
10 low-power stations in this market (not covered by the proposed shutoff rules)
- W16DQ-D
- W31EG-D
- WSVT-LD
- W32FH-D
- W05CO-D
- WDNP-LD
- WGCT-LD
- WTBT-LD
- WTAM-LD
- WSNN-LD
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.