Is WGN-TV (CW 9) on NextGen TV?

CW · channel 9 · Chicago, IL (Chicago market)

Yes. WGN-TV 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 WBBM-TV's transmitter (since February 5, 2024).

Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.

WGN-TV at a glance

Channel on your TV
9
Real (RF) broadcast channel
19 · UHF
Network
CW
City of license
Chicago, IL
TV market
Chicago (#3)
License type
Full-power
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
Yes — via WBBM-TV
NextGen TV since
February 5, 2024
Old-format (1.0) signal
On its own transmitter
FCC facility ID
72115

How WGN-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.

Questions about WGN-TV

Is WGN-TV broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?

Yes. WGN-TV 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 WBBM-TV's transmitter (since February 5, 2024).

Will WGN-TV 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 9?

Start with a full channel rescan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) — stations change transmitters and frequencies more often than people expect. WGN-TV transmits on real (RF) channel 19, 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? →

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