Is WBSF (The CW network 46) on NextGen TV?
The CW network · channel 46 · Bay City, MI (Flint-Saginaw-Bay City market)
WBSF's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WEYI-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
WBSF at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 46
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 23 · UHF
- Network
- The CW network
- City of license
- Bay City, MI
- TV market
- Flint-Saginaw-Bay City (#70)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — 3.0-only transmitter
- NextGen TV since
- March 15, 2022
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- Carried by WEYI-TV (NBC 25)
- FCC facility ID
- 82627
How WBSF 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.
- WBSF’s transmitter carries the NextGen TV versions of WNEM-TV (5), WJRT-TV (12), WEYI-TV (NBC 25) and WSMH (FOX 66).
- WBSF’s old-format programming now airs from WEYI-TV (NBC 25) (RF 18).
Questions about WBSF
Is WBSF broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
WBSF's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WEYI-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Will WBSF stop working on my TV?
WBSF's programming already moved to WEYI-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 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 46?
If channel 46 disappeared, it's almost always because its old-format signal moved to WEYI-TV's transmitter. Run a full channel scan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) and it comes back under the same number. WBSF transmits on real (RF) channel 23, 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? →
Other stations in Flint-Saginaw-Bay City
- WNEM-TV (5) · 3.0
- WJRT-TV (12) · 3.0
- WCMU-TV (PBS 14)
- WEYI-TV (NBC 25) · 3.0
- WDCQ-TV (PBS 35)
- WAQP (49)
- WSMH (FOX 66) · 3.0
Full Flint-Saginaw-Bay City station list and shutoff timeline →