Mainers who use digital antenna will have to rescan their TVs on March 11 to find all of the channels that are available in their area.

The process is necessary because the Federal Communications Commission is requiring nearly 1,000 stations nationwide to move to new frequencies because it recently held an auction of broadcast airwaves to provide more channels for wireless internet broadband services.

“Our goal is to make this transition as easy as possible on our viewers to ensure they can keep watching the programs they love …” WPXT, also known as Maine’s CW, said in a release. “If they haven’t rescanned their TVs recently, they may discover TV channels they didn’t even know they were missing.”

The channels on which current programming appears will not change. The frequency change will occur “behind the scenes” and will not be apparent to viewers, WPXT said.

Those who watch TV through a cable or satellite service will not need to rescan, as their service provider will do it for them.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.