Is WAXN-TV (64) on NextGen TV?
Independent · channel 64 · Kannapolis, NC (Charlotte market)
WAXN-TV's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WBTV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 30, 2026.
Yes, according to a filing SiliconDust made with the FCC on October 5, 2026 (observed October 4, 2026): WAXN-TV's NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signal is encrypted, so only TVs and boxes certified for encrypted channels can play it. It's still free, and WAXN-TV's old-format channel isn't affected. What encryption means →
WAXN-TV at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 64
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 32 · UHF
- Network
- Independent
- City of license
- Kannapolis, NC
- TV market
- Charlotte (#24)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — 3.0-only transmitter
- NextGen TV since
- June 15, 2021
- NextGen TV encryption
- Encrypted (DRM) · what that means
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- Carried by WBTV (CBS 3)
- FCC facility ID
- 12793
How WAXN-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.
- WAXN-TV’s transmitter carries the NextGen TV versions of WBTV (CBS 3), WSOC-TV (ABC 9), WCNC-TV (NBC 36) and WJZY (FOX 46).
- WAXN-TV’s old-format programming now airs from WBTV (CBS 3) (RF 23).
Questions about WAXN-TV
Is WAXN-TV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
WAXN-TV's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WBTV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Will WAXN-TV stop working on my TV?
WAXN-TV's programming already moved to WBTV'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 64?
If channel 64 disappeared, it's almost always because its old-format signal moved to WBTV's transmitter. Run a full channel scan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) and it comes back under the same number. WAXN-TV transmits on real (RF) channel 32, 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.
Is WAXN-TV's NextGen TV signal encrypted?
Yes, according to a filing SiliconDust made with the FCC on October 5, 2026 (observed October 4, 2026): WAXN-TV's NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signal is encrypted, so only TVs and boxes certified for encrypted channels can play it. It's still free, and WAXN-TV's old-format channel isn't affected.
Why channels disappear → · Where the FCC decision stands → · Does my TV have a 3.0 tuner? →
Something wrong with WAXN-TV’s channel, network or NextGen TV status? Report a problem. Readers’ reports are how we catch errors in the FCC data; we check every one.