Is KCWI-TV (CW 23) on NextGen TV?
CW · channel 23 · Ames, IA (Des Moines-Ames market)
No. KCWI-TV broadcasts only the current (ATSC 1.0) signal that every digital TV can receive. There is no NextGen TV filing for it on record with the FCC.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
KCWI-TV at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 23
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 23 · UHF
- Network
- CW
- City of license
- Ames, IA
- TV market
- Des Moines-Ames (#72)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- No
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- On its own transmitter
- FCC facility ID
- 51502
Questions about KCWI-TV
Is KCWI-TV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
No. KCWI-TV broadcasts only the current (ATSC 1.0) signal that every digital TV can receive. There is no NextGen TV filing for it on record with the FCC.
Will KCWI-TV stop working on my TV?
Not under today's rules. Any full-power or Class A station that switches to NextGen TV must keep an old-format (ATSC 1.0) simulcast on the air, and that requirement has no end date. What could change it: broadcasters have asked the FCC to let full-power stations outside the largest markets end old-format signals in February 2030. The FCC's own October 2025 proposal leaned the other way — letting each station choose when to stop. A final decision is expected by the end of 2026.
Why can't I get channel 23?
Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. KCWI-TV transmits on real (RF) channel 23, which is UHF. UHF (channels 14–36) is what most indoor antennas are designed for. Reception problems on UHF are usually about distance, walls, or line of sight to the tower — try a window facing the transmitter.
Why channels disappear → · Where the FCC decision stands → · Does my TV have a 3.0 tuner? →