Low Power Television was created to allow local communities to broadcast locally produced programming and content of community interest. With the advent of digital television, one TV transmitter can send several program streams. This makes it easier for local owners to spread the operating cost among several program originators. A church may be the owner and have its programming on the .1 channel and lease the .2 and .3 channels to a school or local government.
A recent rule change by the FCC removed the requirement for local origination which made it possible for corporations to own stations in different markets and not be required to have a local presence or carry local programming. As a result, some LPTV stations may not have any local programming at all. However, the station owners will typically lease a channel for less than what it would cost to build and operate a TV station. This is a good deal for the community as it effectively lowers the cost of getting on the air.
Cord cutters delight
People have gotten used to getting their TV from cable or satellite, or streaming services. Twenty years ago, before cable and direct broadcast satellite were common, most people got their TV over the air. Most houses had a TV antenna on the roof or a set of “rabbit ears” on top of the TV. Those over the air signals are still out there. The same digital technology that lets TV transmitters send multiple program streams means there is plenty of free TV out there. All of the major networks and many niche programming sources are all available for free.
How to find new stations
Re-scan for new channels. Modern TVs have to be told to look for new channels. Each brand works differently, but the operation is essentially the same. The TV must have an antenna connected to it first. The settings menu will have an option for searching or scanning for channels. Select the option for “Air” or “Antenna”, not Cable. The TV will take several minutes to scan and memorize all the channels it finds. A surprising number if channels may be available with an antenna in most communities. For more information about LPTV and to find over the air TV stations, visit Rabbit Ears https://www.rabbitears.info/
LPTV Stations
| Station | Channel | City |
|---|---|---|
| KNWS-LP | 64 | BROWNSVILLE |
| KXFX-CD | 67 | BROWNSVILLE |
| KCWT-CD | 21 | LA FERIA |
| KAZH-LP | 57 | MCALLEN |
| KFXV-LD | 38 | MCALLEN |
| KJST-LD | 28 | MCALLEN |
| KRZG-CD | 35 | MCALLEN |
| KSOY-LD | 69 | MCALLEN |
| KTFV-CD | 32 | MCALLEN |
| KMAO-LP | 50 | RAYMONDVILLE |
| KRYM-LP | 46 | RAYMONDVILLE |
| K08QJ-D | 49 | RIO GRANDE CITY |
| KRGT-LD | 6 | RIO GRANDE CITY |
| K03IP-D | 3 | ROMA |