Is KUSI-TV (51) on NextGen TV?
Independent · channel 51 · San Diego, CA (San Diego market)
KUSI-TV's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to KSWB-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
KUSI-TV at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 51
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 18 · UHF
- Network
- Independent
- City of license
- San Diego, CA
- TV market
- San Diego (#28)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — 3.0-only transmitter
- NextGen TV since
- January 16, 2024
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- Carried by KSWB-TV (FOX 69)
- FCC facility ID
- 10238
How KUSI-TV shares transmitters
During the switch, stations in a market pair up: one transmitter (the “lighthouse”) goes NextGen-only and carries everyone’s 3.0 versions, while its own old-format programming moves to a partner. Your TV shows the same channel numbers either way.
- KUSI-TV’s old-format programming now airs from KSWB-TV (FOX 69) (RF 26).
Questions about KUSI-TV
Is KUSI-TV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
KUSI-TV's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to KSWB-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Will KUSI-TV stop working on my TV?
KUSI-TV's programming already moved to KSWB-TV's transmitter and is still free over the air in the old format. 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 in the 55 largest markets end old-format signals in February 2028. 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 51?
If channel 51 disappeared, it's almost always because its old-format signal moved to KSWB-TV's transmitter. Run a full channel scan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) and it comes back under the same number. KUSI-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? →