Television channel frequencies

The following tables show the frequencies assigned to broadcast television channels in various regions of the world, along with the ITU letter designator for the system used. The frequencies shown are for the analogue video and audio carriers. The channel itself occupies several megahertz of bandwidth. For example, North American channel 2 occupies the spectrum from 54 to 60 MHz. See Broadcast television systems for a table of signal characteristics, including bandwidth, by ITU letter designator.

A plan showing frequency ranges for each television channel used on VHF.

VHF

North and South America (most countries), South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines

Main article: North American broadcast television frequencies

Channel 1 was finally withdrawn on June 14, 1948, and allocated to fixed and mobile services. In some countries using the standard, channels 5 and 6 are allocated to non-broadcast services. An international agreement provides for a unified television bandplan, with 6-MHz channels throughout ITU Region II for both VHF and UHF bands, except for French territories, Falkland Islands, Greenland and Netherlands Antilles. Not all territories observe this bandplan.

During World War II the frequencies originally assigned to channels 13 to 18 were appropriated by the military, which still uses them. It was also decided to move the allocation for FM radio from the 42-50 MHz band to a larger 88-106 MHz band (later extended to the current 88-108 MHz FM band). This required a reassignment of the VHF channels to the plan currently in use. [1]

Assignments since February 25, 1946

Notes:

• System M 525 lines (most countries in the Americas and Caribbean, South Korea and the Philippines)
• System N 625 lines (used in some South American Countries)

VHF low-band (band I)

Channel	Lower edge	Video carrier	DTV carrier	Audio carrier	Upper edge
2	54	55.25	54.31	59.75	60
3	60	61.25	60.31	65.75	66
4	66	67.25	66.31	71.75	72
5	76	77.25	76.31	81.75	82
6	82	83.25	82.31	87.75	88

Note: FM channel 200, 87.9 MHz, overlaps TV 6. This is used only by KSFH and K200AA. Channel 6A is only used in South Korea and the Philippines.
TV 6 analog audio can be heard on FM 87.75 on most broadcast radio receivers, but at lower volume than wideband FM broadcast stations.

VHF high-band (band III)

Channel	Lower edge	Video carrier	DTV carrier	Audio carrier	Upper edge
7	174	175.25	174.31	179.75	180
8	180	181.25	180.31	185.75	186
9	186	187.25	186.31	191.75	192
10	192	193.25	192.31	197.75	198
11	198	199.25	198.31	203.75	204
12	204	205.25	204.31	209.75	210
13	210	211.25	210.31	215.75	216

Japan

Note : Basically the frequency spacing for each channel is 6 MHz as the countries above, except between channels 7 and 8 (which overlap).

VHF low-band

Channel	Lower edge	Video carrier	Audio carrier	Upper edge
1	90	91.25	95.75	96
2	96	97.25	101.75	102
3	102	103.25	107.75	108

VHF high-band

Channel	Lower edge	Video carrier	Audio carrier	Upper edge
4	170	171.25	175.75	176
5	176	177.25	181.75	182
6	182	183.25	187.75	188
7	188	189.25	193.75	194
8	192	193.25	197.75	198
9	198	199.25	203.75	204
10	204	205.25	209.75	210
11	210	211.25	215.75	216
12	216	217.25	221.75	222

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and most British Territories

Further information: Analogue terrestrial television in the United Kingdom#405 line system

System A 405 lines (discontinued in 1985)

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	45.00	41.50
2	51.75	48.25
3	56.75	53.25
4	61.75	58.25
5	66.75	63.25
6	179.75	176.25
7	184.75	181.25
8	189.75	186.25
9	194.75	191.25
10	199.75	196.25
11	204.75	201.25
12	209.75	206.25
13	214.75	211.25

Republic of Ireland

System I 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
A	45.75	51.75
B	53.75	59.75
C	61.75	67.75
D	175.25	181.25
E	183.25	189.25
F	191.25	197.25
G	199.25	205.25
H	207.25	213.25
I	215.25	221.25
J	223.25	229.25

Note: Channel A was never used terrestrialy. The only System I Band I transmitter on Channel B was RTÉ One from the Maghera, Co. Clare transmitter during 1963-1999. Channel A was initially intended for use at Maghera but Channel B was used instead because of the risk of interference to (overspill) reception of BBC 405 line transmissions [2]. It was moved to Channel E due to interference from distant transmitters during certain atmospheric conditions and other reasons. Channel C was used by a relay transmitter in Glanmire, Co. Cork. There are currently no Band I Channels used in Ireland (except on cable TV, and these have mostly been phased out for DOCSIS use) and no plans to resume using them. Most Irish Cable TV systems do not follow the above channel plan as their analogue (video) carriers are usually at multiples of 8 MHz (i.e. 176, 184, 192 MHz etc. in Band III)

Western Europe, Greenland and most countries in Asia, Africa and Oceania

System B 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	41.25	46.75
1A	42.25	47.75
2	48.25	53.75
2A	49.75	55.25
3	55.25	60.75
4	62.25	67.75
4A	82.25	87.75
5	175.25	180.75
6	182.25	187.75
7	189.25	194.75
8	196.25	201.75
9	203.25	208.75
10	210.25	215.75
11	217.25	222.75
12	224.25	229.75

• NOTE: Channels 1 and 1A were used for early experimental broadcasts and are no longer allocated.
• NOTE: Channels 15 and 16 are allocated for use in the African Broadcasting Area only.
• Channel 2A was only ever used in Austria for the Sendeturm Jauerling to avoid interferences with neighboring Eastern European TV stations.
• Channel 12 was reserved by the military in some countries (like Germany (West Germany only)) so only relay transmitters operated on this frequency.

France

System E 819 lines (discontinued in 1986)

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	46.00	42.00
2	52.40	41.25
3	56.15	67.30
4	65.55	54.40
5	164.00	175.15
6	173.40	162.25
7	177.15	188.30
8A	185.25	174.10
8	186.55	175.40
9	190.30	201.45
10	199.70	188.55
11	203.45	214.60
12	212.85	201.70

• NOTE: Channel 1 used an earlier 441-line system and was discontinued in 1956.

System L 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
2	55.75	49.25
3	60.50	54.00
4	63.75	57.25
5	176.00	182.50
6	184.00	190.50
7	192.00	198.50
8	200.00	206.50
9	208.00	214.50
10	216.00	222.50

French overseas departments and territories and former French African colonies

System K 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
2	52.25	58.75
3	60.25	66.75
4	175.25	181.75
5	183.25	189.75
6	191.25	197.75
7	199.25	205.75
8	207.25	213.75
9	215.25	221.75

Italy

System B 625 lines (discontinued in 2009) [3]

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
A	53.75	59.25
B	62.25	67.75
C	82.25	87.75
D	175.25	180.75
E	183.75	189.25
F	192.25	197.75
G	201.25	206.75
H	210.25	215.75
H1	217.25	222.75
H2	224.25	229.75

Channels A through H are indicated in many European TVs as Channels 13-20.

Eastern Europe

Original OIR assignments
System D 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
I	41.75	48.25
II	49.75	56.25
III	59.25	65.75
IV	77.25	83.75
1	145.25	151.75
2	153.25	159.75
3	161.25	167.75
4	169.25	175.75
5	177.25	183.75
6	185.25	191.75
7	193.25	199.75
8	201.25	207.75
9	209.25	215.75

Assignments since 1965
System D 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	49.75	56.25
2	59.25	65.75
3	77.25	83.75
4	85.25	91.75
5	93.25	99.75
6	175.25	181.75
7	183.25	189.75
8	191.25	197.75
9	199.25	205.75
10	207.25	213.75
11	215.25	221.75
12	223.25	229.75

East Germany (DDR)

In its very early days DFF made some test transmissions using the D/K standard (6.5 MHz audio) before reverting (around 1957) to System B/G (5.5 MHz audio) but still (initially) using some oddball frequencies # .

Channel	Channel Limits (MHz)	Vision Carrier (MHz)	Main Sound Carrier (MHz)
1 (Pre 1957)	41.00 - 49.00	41.75	48.25	Identical to old OIR Ch I
2 (Pre 1957)	58.50 - 66.50	59.25	65.75	Identical to old OIR Ch III (Overlaps western channels E3 and E4)
3 (Pre 1957)	99.15 - 107.15	99.90	106.40	Overlaps part of Western FM radio broadcast band
4 (Pre 1957)	144.50 - 152.50	145.25	151.75	Overlaps 2m Amateur radio band
1 (1957-1960)	58.00 - 65.00	59.25	64.75	Same video freq as pre 1957 Ch 2 (but 5.5 MHz sound) Overlaps western channels E3 and E4
2 (1957-1960)	144.00 - 151.00	145.25	150.75	Overlaps 2m Amateur radio band
3 (1957-1960)	154.00 - 161.00	155.25	160.75	Overlaps Marine VHF radio band
E5	174.00 - 181.00	175.25	180.75	Identical to western Channel E5
E6	181.00 - 188.00	182.25	187.75	Identical to western Channel E6
E8	195.00 - 202.00	196.25	201.75	Identical to western Channel E8
E11	216.00 - 223.00	217.25	222.75	Identical to western Channel E11

# From 1960 onwards (West) European standard channels were adopted.

Morocco

System B 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
4	163.25	168.75
5	171.25	176.75
6	179.25	184.75
7	187.25	192.75
8	195.25	200.75
9	203.25	208.75
10	211.25	216.75

Australia

System B 625 lines (7 MHz / channel)

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
0*	46.25	51.75
1*	57.25	62.75
2*	64.25	69.75
3*	86.25	91.75
4*	95.25	100.75
5*	102.25	107.75
5A*	138.25	143.75
6	175.25	180.75
7	182.25	187.75
8	189.25	194.75
9	196.25	201.75
9A	203.25	208.75
10	210.25	215.75
11	217.25	222.75
12	224.25	229.75

Note

• Channels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5A are no longer used since the transition to Digital television.
• With the introduction of Digital TV in 2001, the last two channels were moved up by 1 MHz to allow a full 7 MHz for a new channel 9A and channel 12 was added following the new channel 11.

New Zealand

System B 625 lines (7 MHz / channel)

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	45.25	50.75
2	55.25	60.75
3	62.25	67.75
4	175.25	180.75
5	182.25	187.75
6	189.25	194.75
7	196.25	201.75
8	203.25	208.75
9	210.25	215.75
10	217.25	222.75
11	224.25	229.75

• NOTE: Channels 10 and 11 weren't added until the late 1980s.

Southern Africa

System I 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
1	43.25	49.25
2	52.25	58.25
3	60.25	66.25
4	175.25	181.25	Identical to Irish Channel D
5	183.25	189.25	Identical to Irish Channel E
6	191.25	197.25	Identical to Irish Channel F
7	199.25	205.25	Identical to Irish Channel G
8	207.25	213.25	Identical to Irish Channel H
9	215.25	221.25	Identical to Irish Channel I
10	223.25	229.25	Channels 10 to 13 are rarely used
11	231.25	237.25	Channels 10 to 13 are rarely used
12	239.25	245.25	Channels 10 to 13 are rarely used
13	247.25	253.25	Channels 10 to 13 are rarely used

China (PRC)

System D 625 lines

Channel	Frequency range (MHz)	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)	Center frequency (MHz)
Band I
1	48.5-56.5	49.75	56.25	52.5
2	56.5-64.5	57.75	64.25	60.5
3	64.5-72.5	65.75	72.25	68.5
4	76-84	77.25	83.75	80
5	84-92	85.25	91.75	88
Band III
6	167-175	168.25	174.25	171
7	175-183	176.25	182.75	179
8	183-191	184.25	190.75	187
9	191-199	192.25	198.75	195
10	199-207	200.25	206.75	203
11	207-215	208.25	214.75	211

UHF

Americas (most countries), South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines

See North American broadcast television frequencies for frequencies used in North America.

Notes

• The frequencies used by UHF channels 70 through 83 were reallocated to the Land Mobile Radio System (Public Safety and Trunked Radio) and mobile phones in a CCIR worldwide convention in 1982, and thus were never used for digital TV but are listed here for theoretical use.
• In certain metropolitan areas of the United States, Channels 14 through 20 have been allocated to Land Mobile Radio (LMR) use. [4]
• Channels 52 through 69 in the United States have been reallocated now that conversion to digital TV was completed on June 12, 2009. Channels 70 through 83 in the United States and Canada were re-allocated to AMPS cellular phone use in 1983.
• On August 22, 2011, the United States' Federal Communications Commission announced a freeze on all future applications for broadcast stations requesting to use channel 51, to prevent adjacent-channel interference to the A-Block of the 700 MHz band. Later that year (on December 16, 2011), Industry Canada and the CRTC followed suit in placing a moratorium on future television stations using Channel 51 for broadcast use, to prevent adjacent-channel interference to the A-Block of the 700 MHz band.
• Not all countries listed use ATSC, which has a single VSB carrier wave. Other countries use COFDM modulation for DVB-T or ISDB-Tb (Brazil and most of South American countries), which has dozens of carriers within the channel.
• Channel 37 is reserved for radio astronomy in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and the Bahamas, thus there are no television stations assigned to it. Mexico also informally observes a ban on transmitters using this channel.

System M 525 lines (most countries in the Americas and Caribbean,
South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines)
System N 625 lines (some South American countries)

Channel	Lower edge	Video carrier	ATSC carrier	Audio carrier	Upper edge
14	470	471.25	471.31	475.75	476
15	476	477.25	477.31	481.75	482
16	482	483.25	483.31	487.75	488
17	488	489.25	489.31	493.75	494
18	494	495.25	495.31	499.75	500
500 MHz band
19	500	501.25	501.31	505.75	506
20	506	507.25	507.31	511.75	512
21	512	513.25	513.31	517.75	518
22	518	519.25	519.31	523.75	524
23	524	525.25	525.31	529.75	530
24	530	531.25	531.31	535.75	536
25	536	537.25	537.31	541.75	542
26	542	543.25	543.31	547.75	548
27	548	549.25	549.31	553.75	554
28	554	555.25	555.31	559.75	560
29	560	561.25	561.31	565.75	566
30	566	567.25	567.31	571.75	572
31	572	573.25	573.31	577.75	578
32	578	579.25	579.31	583.75	584
33	584	585.25	585.31	589.75	590
34	590	591.25	591.31	595.75	596
600 MHz band
35	596	597.25	597.31	601.75	602
36	602	603.25	603.31	607.75	608
37*	608	609.25*	609.31*	613.75*	614
38	614	615.25	615.31	619.75	620
39	620	621.25	621.31	625.75	626
40	626	627.25	627.31	631.75	632
41	632	633.25	633.31	637.75	638
42	638	639.25	639.31	643.75	644
43	644	645.25	645.31	649.75	650
44	650	651.25	651.31	655.75	656
45	656	657.25	657.31	661.75	662
46	662	663.25	663.31	667.75	668
47	668	669.25	669.31	673.75	674
48	674	675.25	675.31	679.75	680
49	680	681.25	681.31	685.75	686
50	686	687.25	687.31	691.75	692
51	692	693.25	692.31	697.75	698
700 MHz band
52	698	699.25	699.31	703.75	704
53	704	705.25	705.31	709.75	710
54	710	711.25	711.31	715.75	716
55	716	717.25	717.31	721.75	722
56	722	723.25	723.31	727.75	728
57	728	729.25	729.31	733.75	734
58	734	735.25	735.31	739.75	740
59	740	741.25	741.31	745.75	746
60	746	747.25	747.31	751.75	752
61	752	753.25	753.31	757.75	758
62	758	759.25	759.31	763.75	764
63	764	765.25	765.31	769.75	770
64	770	771.25	771.31	775.75	776
65	776	777.25	777.31	781.75	782
66	782	783.25	783.31	787.75	788
67	788	789.25	789.31	793.75	794
68	794	795.25	795.31	799.75	800
69	800	801.25	801.31	805.75	806
800 MHz band
70	806	807.25	-	811.75	812
71	812	813.25	-	817.75	818
72	818	819.25	-	823.75	824
73	824	825.25	-	829.75	830
74	830	831.25	-	835.75	836
75	836	837.25	-	841.75	842
76	842	843.25	-	847.75	848
77	848	849.25	-	853.75	854
78	854	855.25	-	859.75	860
79	860	861.25	-	865.75	866
80	866	867.25	-	871.75	872
81	872	873.25	-	877.75	878
82	878	879.25	-	883.75	884
83	884	885.25	-	889.75	890

Japan

Note: Channels 13-62 are used for analog and digital TV broadcasting.

Frequency spacing for each channel in Japan is the same as in the countries listed above, but the channel numbers are 1 lower than in those countries; for example, channel 13 in Japan is on the same frequency as channel 14 in North and South America (most countries), South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Macau, Falkland Islands and Southern Africa

System I 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
21	471.25	477.25
22	479.25	485.25
23	487.25	493.25
24	495.25	501.25
25	503.25	509.25
26	511.25	517.25
27	519.25	525.25
28	527.25	533.25
29	535.25	541.25
30	543.25	549.25
31	551.25	557.25
32	559.25	565.25
33	567.25	573.25
34	575.25	581.25
35	583.25	589.25
36	591.25	597.25
37	599.25	605.25
38	607.25	613.25
39	615.25	621.25
40	623.25	629.25
41	631.25	637.25
42	639.25	645.25
43	647.25	653.25
44	655.25	661.25
45	663.25	669.25
46	671.25	677.25
47	679.25	685.25
48	687.25	693.25
49	695.25	701.25
50	703.25	709.25
51	711.25	717.25
52	719.25	725.25
53	727.25	733.25
54	735.25	741.25
55	743.25	749.25
56	751.25	757.25
57	759.25	765.25
58	767.25	773.25
59	775.25	781.25
60	783.25	789.25
61	791.25	797.25
62	799.25	805.25
63	807.25	813.25
64	815.25	821.25
65	823.25	829.25
66	831.25	837.25
67	839.25	845.25
68	847.25	853.25
69	855.25	861.25

NOTE: Channel 69 was not used for TV broadcasting in the UK, used by MOD and until 2012 by PMSE.
NOTE: PAL I was withdrawn from broadcasting use in the UK during 2012 and 2013.

Western Europe, Greenland, most countries in Asia and Africa, and most of Oceania

System D/G/H 625 lines (8 MHz / channel)

UHF band

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
21	471.25	476.75
22	479.25	484.75
23	487.25	492.75
24	495.25	500.75
25	503.25	508.75
26	511.25	516.75
27	519.25	524.75
28	527.25	532.75
29	535.25	540.75
30	543.25	548.75
31	551.25	556.75
32	559.25	564.75
33	567.25	572.75
34	575.25	580.75
35	583.25	588.75
36	591.25	596.75
37	599.25	604.75
38	607.25	612.75
39	615.25	620.75
40	623.25	628.75
41	631.25	636.75
42	639.25	644.75
43	647.25	652.75
44	655.25	660.75
45	663.25	668.75
46	671.25	676.75
47	679.25	684.75
48	687.25	692.75
49	695.25	700.75
Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
50	703.25	708.75
51	711.25	716.75
52	719.25	724.75
53	727.25	732.75
54	735.25	740.75
55	743.25	748.75
56	751.25	756.75
57	759.25	764.75
58	767.25	772.75
59	775.25	780.75
60	783.25	788.75
61	791.25	796.75
62	799.25	804.75
63	807.25	812.75
64	815.25	820.75
65	823.25	828.75
66	831.25	836.75
67	839.25	844.75
68	847.25	852.75
69	855.25	860.75
Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
70	863.25	868.75
71	871.25	876.75
72	879.25	884.75
73	887.25	892.75
74	895.25	900.75
75	903.25	908.75
76	911.25	916.75
77	919.25	924.75
78	927.25	932.75
79	935.25	940.75
80	943.25	948.75
81	951.25	956.75

• NOTE: Former channels 14 to 18 renumbered as 21 to 25 in 1961.
• NOTE: Channels 70 to 81 no longer allocated to television. They were only used in Italy.

France, Eastern Europe, Former Soviet Union, French overseas territories and former French colonies in Africa

System K 625 lines
System L 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
21	471.25	477.75
22	479.25	485.75
23	487.25	493.75
24	495.25	501.75
25	503.25	509.75
26	511.25	517.75
27	519.25	525.75
28	527.25	533.75
29	535.25	541.75
30	543.25	549.75
31	551.25	557.75
32	559.25	565.75
33	567.25	573.75
34	575.25	581.75
35	583.25	589.75
36	591.25	597.75
37	599.25	605.75
38	607.25	613.75
39	615.25	621.75
40	623.25	629.75
41	631.25	637.75
42	639.25	645.75
43	647.25	653.75
44	655.25	661.75
45	663.25	669.75
46	671.25	677.75
47	679.25	685.75
48	687.25	693.75
49	695.25	701.75
50	703.25	709.75
51	711.25	717.75
52	719.25	725.75
53	727.25	733.75
54	735.25	741.75
55	743.25	749.75
56	751.25	757.75
57	759.25	765.75
58	767.25	773.75
59	775.25	781.75
60	783.25	789.75
61	791.25	797.75
62	799.25	805.75
63	807.25	813.75
64	815.25	821.75
65	823.25	829.75
66	831.25	837.75
67	839.25	845.75
68	847.25	853.75
69	855.25	861.75

Australia

System B 625 lines

Channel	Video carrier (MHz)	Audio carrier (MHz)
28	527.25	532.75
29	534.25	539.75
30	541.25	546.75
31	548.25	553.75
32	555.25	560.75
33	562.25	567.75
34	569.25	574.75
35	576.25	581.75
36	583.25	588.75
37	590.25	595.75
38	597.25	602.75
39	604.25	609.75
40	611.25	616.75
41	618.25	623.75
42	625.25	630.75
43	632.25	637.75
44	639.25	644.75
45	646.25	651.75
46	653.25	658.75
47	660.25	665.75
48	667.25	672.75
49	674.25	679.75
50	681.25	686.75
51	688.25	693.75
52	695.25	700.75
53	702.25	707.75
54	709.25	714.75
55	716.25	721.75
56	723.25	728.75
57	730.25	735.75
58	737.25	742.75
59	744.25	749.75
60	751.25	756.75
61	758.25	763.75
62	765.25	770.75
63	772.25	777.75
64	779.25	784.75
65	786.25	791.75
66	793.25	798.75
67	800.25	805.75
68	807.25	812.75
69	814.25	819.75

Channels above C52 are being progressively phased out since the introduction of digital television and rationalisation of the spectrum

See also

• Asian television frequencies
• Australasian television frequencies
• Broadcast television systems
  • ATSC (standards)
  • NTSC
  • NTSC-J
  • PAL
  • RCA
  • SECAM
• Channel (broadcasting)
• Channel 37
• Digital television transition
• Knife-edge effect
• Moving image formats
• Multichannel television sound
• North American broadcast television frequencies
• North American cable television frequencies