Is WBTV (CBS 3) on NextGen TV?
CBS · channel 3 · Charlotte, NC (Charlotte market)
Yes. WBTV still broadcasts its regular signal from its own transmitter, so nothing changed for your TV. A NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) version also airs from WAXN-TV's transmitter (since June 15, 2021).
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
WBTV at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 3
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 23 · UHF
- Network
- CBS
- City of license
- Charlotte, NC
- TV market
- Charlotte (#24)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes
- NextGen TV since
- June 15, 2021
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- On its own transmitter
- FCC facility ID
- 30826
Questions about WBTV
Is WBTV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
Yes. WBTV still broadcasts its regular signal from its own transmitter, so nothing changed for your TV. A NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) version also airs from WAXN-TV's transmitter (since June 15, 2021).
Will WBTV 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 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 3?
Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. WBTV 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? →