Is WAOW (ABC 9) on NextGen TV?
ABC · channel 9 · Wausau, WI (Wausau-Rhinelander market)
No. WAOW 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.
WAOW at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 9
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 9 · VHF-high
- Network
- ABC
- City of license
- Wausau, WI
- TV market
- Wausau-Rhinelander (#134)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- No
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- On its own transmitter
- FCC facility ID
- 64546
Questions about WAOW
Is WAOW broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
No. WAOW 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 WAOW 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 9?
Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. WAOW transmits on real (RF) channel 9, which is VHF-high. Many flat and "HD" indoor antennas are built mainly for UHF and do poorly on VHF-high (channels 7–13). If this station drops out while UHF stations come in, try an antenna that lists VHF-high reception, or one with rabbit-ear dipoles extended.
Why channels disappear → · Where the FCC decision stands → · Does my TV have a 3.0 tuner? →