Is WCWN (CW 45) on NextGen TV?
CW · channel 45 · Schenectady, NY (Albany-Schenectady-Troy market)
WCWN's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WTEN's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
WCWN at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 45
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 22 · UHF
- Network
- CW
- City of license
- Schenectady, NY
- TV market
- Albany-Schenectady-Troy (#58)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — 3.0-only transmitter
- NextGen TV since
- March 24, 2022
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- Carried by WTEN (ABC 10)
- FCC facility ID
- 73264
How WCWN 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.
- WCWN’s transmitter carries the NextGen TV versions of WRGB (CBS 6), WTEN (ABC 10), WMHT (PBS 17) and WXXA-TV (FOX 23).
- WCWN’s old-format programming now airs from WTEN (ABC 10) (RF 24).
Questions about WCWN
Is WCWN broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
WCWN's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WTEN's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Will WCWN stop working on my TV?
WCWN's programming already moved to WTEN'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 45?
If channel 45 disappeared, it's almost always because its old-format signal moved to WTEN's transmitter. Run a full channel scan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) and it comes back under the same number. WCWN transmits on real (RF) channel 22, 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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy
- WNCE-CD (YTA)
- WFNY-CD
- WRGB (CBS 6) · 3.0
- WTEN (ABC 10) · 3.0
- WNYT (NBC 13)
- WMHT (PBS 17) · 3.0
- WXXA-TV (FOX 23) · 3.0
- WNYA (MyNetworkTV 51)
- WYPX-TV (ION 55)
Full Albany-Schenectady-Troy station list and shutoff timeline →