Is WDBB (CW 17) on NextGen TV?
CW · channel 17 · Bessemer, AL (Birmingham (Ann and Tusc) market)
Yes. WDBB 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 WSES's transmitter (since June 24, 2022).
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
WDBB at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 17
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 14 · UHF
- Network
- CW
- City of license
- Bessemer, AL
- TV market
- Birmingham (Ann and Tusc) (#43)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — via WSES
- NextGen TV since
- June 24, 2022
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- On its own transmitter
- FCC facility ID
- 71325
How WDBB 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.
- WDBB’s NextGen TV version airs from WSES (Heroes and Icons 33) (RF 36).
- WDBB’s transmitter also carries the old-format signal of WSES (Heroes and Icons 33).
Questions about WDBB
Is WDBB broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
Yes. WDBB 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 WSES's transmitter (since June 24, 2022).
Will WDBB 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 17?
Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. WDBB transmits on real (RF) channel 14, 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 Birmingham (Ann and Tusc)
- WRDY-CD
- WJMY-CD (Telemundo)
- WEAC-CD
- WTBM-CD (Telemundo)
- WVUA-CD (COZI TV)
- WBRC (FOX 6) · 3.0
- WCIQ (PBS 7)
- WBIQ (PBS 10)
- WVTM-TV (NBC 13) · 3.0
- WTTO (CW 21) · 3.0
- WVUA (COZI TV 23)
- WSES (Heroes and Icons 33) · 3.0
- WGWW (Heroes and Icons 40)
- WIAT (CBS 42) · 3.0
- WPXH-TV (ION 44)
- WTJP-TV (TBN 60)
- WABM (MyNetworkTV 68) · 3.0
Full Birmingham (Ann and Tusc) station list and shutoff timeline →