Is WPFO (FOX 23) on NextGen TV?
FOX · channel 23 · Waterville, ME (Portland-Auburn market)
WPFO's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WGME-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Source: FCC licensing records, checked October 29, 2026.
WPFO at a glance
- Channel on your TV
- 23
- Real (RF) broadcast channel
- 17 · UHF
- Network
- FOX
- City of license
- Waterville, ME
- TV market
- Portland-Auburn (#80)
- License type
- Full-power
- NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)
- Yes — 3.0-only transmitter
- NextGen TV since
- April 25, 2024
- Old-format (1.0) signal
- Carried by WGME-TV (CBS 13)
- FCC facility ID
- 84088
How WPFO 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.
- WPFO’s transmitter carries the NextGen TV versions of WMTW (ABC 8), WCBB (PBS 10), WGME-TV (CBS 13) and WMEA-TV (PBS 26).
- WPFO’s old-format programming now airs from WGME-TV (CBS 13) (RF 15).
Questions about WPFO
Is WPFO broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV)?
WPFO's own transmitter now broadcasts only NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Its regular channel didn't go away — it moved to WGME-TV's signal, and a rescan finds it under the same channel number.
Will WPFO stop working on my TV?
WPFO's programming already moved to WGME-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 23?
If channel 23 disappeared, it's almost always because its old-format signal moved to WGME-TV's transmitter. Run a full channel scan (Settings → Channels → Auto scan) and it comes back under the same number. WPFO transmits on real (RF) channel 17, 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 Portland-Auburn
- WCSH (NBC 6)
- WMTW (ABC 8) · 3.0
- WCBB (PBS 10) · 3.0
- WGME-TV (CBS 13) · 3.0
- WMEA-TV (PBS 26) · 3.0
- WIPL (ION 35)
- WPXT (CW 51)