Is KTIN (PBS 21) on NextGen TV?

PBS · channel 21 · Fort Dodge, IA (Des Moines-Ames market)

No. KTIN 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.

KTIN at a glance

Channel on your TV
21
Real (RF) broadcast channel
25 · UHF
Network
PBS
City of license
Fort Dodge, IA
License type
Full-power
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
No
Old-format (1.0) signal
On its own transmitter
FCC facility ID
29100

Questions about KTIN

Is KTIN broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?

No. KTIN 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 KTIN 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 21?

Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. KTIN transmits on real (RF) channel 25, 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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