Is KFSM-TV (CBS 5) on NextGen TV?

CBS · channel 5 · Fort Smith, AR (Ft. Smith-Fay-Sprngdl-Rgrs market)

No. KFSM-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.

KFSM-TV at a glance

Channel on your TV
5
Real (RF) broadcast channel
18 · UHF
Network
CBS
City of license
Fort Smith, AR
License type
Full-power
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
No
Old-format (1.0) signal
On its own transmitter
FCC facility ID
66469

Questions about KFSM-TV

Is KFSM-TV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?

No. KFSM-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 KFSM-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 5?

Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. KFSM-TV transmits on real (RF) channel 18, 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? →

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