Will my TV stop working in Traverse City-Cadillac?
Traverse City-Cadillac · market #118 of 210
No, not yet — and nothing has changed in your market.
- Stations already on NextGen TV (3.0)
- 0 of 9
- Proposed shutoff of old (1.0) signals
- February 2030
- Wave 2 · 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 Traverse City-Cadillac is still sending a signal your current antenna TV can receive. 2 stations (W19EZ-D, W22EL-D) 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 smaller markets switch off old-format signals starting February 2030. 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 Traverse City-Cadillac
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | WTOM-TV Cheboygan, MI | NBC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 7 | WPBN-TV Traverse City, MI | NBC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 8 | WGTQ Sault Ste. Marie, MI | ABC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 9 | WWTV Cadillac, MI | CBS Network | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 10 | WWUP-TV Sault Ste. Marie, MI | CBS Network | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 21 | WCMW Manistee, MI | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 27 | WCMV Cadillac, MI | PBS | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 29 | WGTU Traverse City, MI | ABC | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
| 33 | WFQX-TV Cadillac, MI | FOX Broadcasting Network | 1.0 only | Still on the air |
8 low-power stations in this market (not covered by the proposed shutoff rules)
- WGCP-LD
- W19EZ-D · 3.0
- W31FI-D
- W22EL-D · 3.0
- W36FH-D
- W16DN-D
- W27DU-D
- W14FD-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.