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.
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Channel 1 was finally withdrawn on June 14, 1948, and allocated to fixed and mobile services.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]
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.
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 BBC405 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
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 # .
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
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 VSBcarrier 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.
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)
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
^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
^Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Broadcasting Stations of the World (Part IV) 16th Edition 1960, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960 pages 97-98