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Television channel frequencies

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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

Channel 1 was finally withdrawn on June 14, 1948, and allocated to fixed and mobile services.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.[citation needed]

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:

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

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 terrestrially. 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)[1][2] 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.[3]
  • NOTE: Channels 15 and 16 are allocated for use in the African Broadcasting Area only.[4]
  • 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,[5] 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.[6]
  • 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[5][6]
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.[7]
  • 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

References

  1. ^ A. G. Sennitt (ed.), World Radio and TV Handbook Volume 49 1995, Billboard Books, 1995 pages 381-382
  2. ^ O. Lund Johansen (ed.), World Radio-Television Handbook 9th Edition 1955, 1955 page 138
  3. ^ http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/World-TV-Standards/Transmission-Systems.html#E1
  4. ^ ITU, Final Acts of the Regional Administrative Conference for the planning of VHF/UHF Television Broadcasting in the African Broadcasting Area and Neighbouring Countries 1989, ITU, 1990 page 60
  5. ^ a b FCC Public Notice DA-11-1428A1:
  6. ^ a b Industry Canada Advisory Letter - Moratorium on the Use of Television Channel 51
  7. ^ Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Broadcasting Stations of the World (Part IV) 16th Edition 1960, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960 pages 97-98