W9WI home page:
Instructions:
(HINT: print this page!)
The TV Database Online is organized in two sections; one by channel, the other by state. Full-power stations are listed first, followed by LPTVs. (definition of "LPTV") In the by-channel listings, stations are sorted first by classification, and then by state and city. Unfortunately it is not currently possible to split listings by country. Maybe in a future update.
In the by-state listings, the sort is by city, and by channel within each city's stations.
Here are two sample listings:
Birmingham, AL WBIQ 316.0 404.0 -dH 332919N 864758W TV-LIC PBS Mobile, AL WALA-TV 316.0 381.0 + C 304116N 874754W TV-CP FoxThe stations are licensed to Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama respectively, and their call letters are WBIQ and WALA-TV.
After the call letters is the effective radiated power in kilowatts, and then the antenna height above average terrain, in meters.
Next is the offset; WBIQ operates 10KHz below the nominal frequency for channel 10, and WALA-TV operates 10KHz above. (explanation of offsets) Following the offset are a "d" if the station uses a directional antenna (this space is blank for non-directional stations) and a letter indicating the polarization used. Most stations are H for horizontal; some are C for circular, or E for elliptical. V for vertical is also possible but I don't believe there are any vertically-polarized TV stations authorized at this time. This field may also be blank for some Canadian and Mexican stations.
The next two numbers are the geographical coordinates of the transmitting antenna. WBIQ's tower is at 33°29'19"N, 86°47'58"W. Note that this may not be in the same city (or even the same state) as the city of license.
The coordinates are followed by the station's service and status. (possible statuses)
Finally, an indication of the programming. WBIQ is an affiliate of the PBS network. Where a station rebroadcasts another station, the listing contains the call letters, channel, and network of the originating station. (listing of networks)
Note that on U.S. listings, the callsign is a clickable link. Clicking on the callsign will open a map showing the location of the station's tower. The maps come from a U.S. Census Bureau server. (which is why Canadian and Mexican stations cannot be mapped.)