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What Channel Is PBS On?

Learn how to find your local PBS TV channel in your area with cable, satellite, live TV streaming, or antenna.

The PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) TV network has been around longer than many of us have been alive. Know anyone who hasn’t heard of Sesame Street, Antiques Roadshow, or Austin City Limits? Probably not. PBS is also more widely available than most of its commercial counterparts—let’s get into where you can find your local station.

Get PBS in your neighborhood

Enter your zip code to see TV service providers in your area.

What channel is PBS on near me?

With almost 350 independent PBS affiliates (or member stations) in the U.S., it’s likely there’s one in your area. Below, we’ve gathered the cable, satellite, and antenna TV options available for 50 major cities. For more options, enter your zip code into our provider finder tool below.

PBS stations in major US cities

City Local affiliate channel Cox channel DIRECTV channel DISH channel Optimum channel Spectrum channel Xfinity channel
Albuquerque, NM 5 N/A 5 5 N/A N/A 5
Atlanta, GA 30 N/A 30 30 N/A 30 30
Austin, TX 18 N/A 18 18 N/A 18 N/A
Bakersfield, CA 18.1 N/A 18 18 N/A N/A 18
Baltimore, MD 67 N/A 67 67 N/A N/A 67
Bronx, NY 13.1 N/A 13 13 13 13 N/A
Brooklyn, NY 13.1 N/A 13 13 13 13 N/A
Buffalo, NY 17 N/A 17 17 N/A 17 N/A
Charlotte, NC 42 N/A 42 42 N/A 42 N/A
Chicago, IL 11 N/A 11 11 11 11 11
Cincinnati, OH 48 N/A 48 48 N/A 48 N/A
Cleveland, OH 25 25 25 25 N/A 25 N/A
Colorado Springs, CO 8 N/A 8 8 N/A N/A 8
Columbus, OH 34 N/A 34 34 N/A 34 34
Dallas, TX 13 N/A 13 13 13 13 13
Denver, CO 6 N/A 6 6 N/A N/A 6
Detroit, MI 56 N/A 56 56 N/A N/A 56
El Paso, TX 13 N/A 13 13 N/A 13 N/A
Fort Lauderdale, FL 2 N/A 2 2 N/A N/A 2
Ft. Worth, TX 13 N/A 13 13 N/A 13 N/A
Fresno, CA 18 N/A 18 18 N/A N/A 18
Houston, TX 8 N/A 8 8 N/A 8 8
Indianapolis, IN 20 N/A 20 20 N/A 20 20
Jacksonville, FL 7 N/A 7 7 N/A N/A 7
Las Vegas, NV 10 10 10 10 N/A N/A N/A
Los Angeles, CA 28, 58 N/A 28, 58 28, 58 N/A 28, 58 N/A
Louisville, KY 68 N/A 68 68 N/A 68 N/A
Memphis, TN 10 N/A 10 10 N/A N/A 10
Miami, FL 17 N/A 17 17 N/A N/A 17
Milwaukee, WI 10, 36 N/A 10, 36 10, 36 N/A 10, 36 N/A
Minneapolis, MN 2 N/A 2 2 N/A N/A 2
New York, NY 13.1 N/A 13 13 13 13 N/A
Oklahoma City, OK 13 13 13 13 N/A N/A N/A
Orlando, FL 24 N/A 24 24 N/A 24 24
Philadelphia, PA 35 N/A 35 35 N/A N/A 35
Phoenix, AZ 8 8 8 8 N/A N/A N/A
Pittsburgh, PA 13 N/A 13 13 N/A N/A 13
Portland, OR 10 N/A 10 10 N/A N/A 10
Sacramento, CA 6 N/A 6 6 N/A N/A 6
St. Louis, MO 9 N/A 9 9 N/A 9 N/A
St. Paul, MN 2 N/A 2 2 N/A 23 2
Salt Lake City, UT 7 N/A 7 7 N/A N/A 7
San Antonio, TX 9 N/A 9 9 N/A 9 N/A
San Diego, CA 15 15 15 15 N/A 15 N/A
San Francisco, CA 9, 22 N/A 9, 22 9, 22 N/A N/A 9, 22
San Jose, CA 54 N/A 54 54 N/A 54 54
Seattle, WA 9, 47 N/A 9 9 N/A N/A 9
Tampa, FL 3, 34 N/A 3, 34 3, 34 N/A 3, 34 3, 34
Tucson, AZ 27 27 27 27 N/A N/A 27
Washington, DC 26, 32 N/A 26, 32 26, 32 N/A N/A N/A

Data effective as of post date.

Get PBS with cable or satellite

Local PBS channels are available via cable and satellite TV services, from both big-name providers and smaller regional companies. Here are four of the top cable and satellite providers we recommend and their cheapest plans:

  • Xfinity—Choice ($20.00/mo.)
  • Spectrum—Select Signature ($95.00/mo.)
  • DISH—America’s Top 120 ($97.99/mo.)
  • DIRECTV—ENTERTAINMENT ($69.99/mo.)

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Search for internet and TV providers near you

Get PBS with an antenna

To receive any local broadcast channel, including PBS, a digital over-the-air antenna can get you plenty of free TV with no subscription fees beyond the one-time purchase price of the unit.

Here are two of the best antennas we’ve reviewed at CableTV.com:

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Read more about over-the-air TV options in our Best Antennas for Cord-Cutters guide.

Get PBS with a live TV streaming service

Internet-delivered live TV streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are generally less pricey than cable or satellite TV subscriptions, and they don’t come with annual contracts. But, you’re unlikely to receive every local channel on a live TV streaming service, and you need a solid internet connection of at least 25Mbps to stream smoothly.

Here are our top (and only) live TV streaming services that carry PBS channels, either live or on-demand:

Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Is live TV streaming for you? Check out our Best Live TV Streaming Services guide.

Get more internet speed

TV, gaming, and everything else you do online is better with high-speed internet. Learn more with our Best Internet for Streaming guide.

Get PBS with PBS.org or PBS app

PBS and its member stations rely mostly on donations to stay afloat, but you can watch some content for free through PBS.org or its PBS streaming app that’s available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and most smart TVs.

For access to more PBS content, you can donate to your local PBS station to gain a PBS Passport membership for a minimum of $5 a month (or $60 a year).

What’s on PBS?

PBS’ array of educational, informational, kids, and entertainment programming is vast—so vast that your local member station can’t carry all of it. PBS stations operate independently, so they pick and choose which shows populate their respective schedules. Below is a partial list of PBS programming.

PBS shows

  • Amanpour & Company
  • American Experience
  • American Masters
  • Antiques Roadshow
  • Austin City Limits
  • Call the Midwife
  • Democracy Now
  • Frontline
  • Ghosts of Amistad
  • Great Performances
  • Independent Lens
  • Marie Antoinette
  • MotorWeek
  • Nature
  • Nova
  • PBS NewsHour
  • POV
  • Sanditon
  • This Old House
  • Washington Week

PBS Kids shows

  • Arthur
  • Clifford the Big Red Dog
  • Curious George
  • Cyberchase
  • Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
  • Dinosaur Train
  • Hero Elementary
  • Molly of Denali
  • Nature Cat
  • Odd Squad
  • Pinkalicious & Peteriffic
  • Ready Jet Go!
  • SciGirls
  • Sesame Street
  • Sid the Science Kid
  • Super Why
  • The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
  • Wild Krafts
  • WordGirl
  • Work It Out Wombats

What’s PBS?

Launched in 1969 as a nonprofit alternative to commercial networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, PBS broadcasts nearly 350 independently owned member stations in the U.S. PBS is best known for shows like Frontline, Masterpiece Theatre, and the long-running children’s favorite Sesame Street.

What channel is PBS on FAQ

Is PBS a free channel?

PBS is available to watch via local broadcast member stations for free with an over-the-air antenna. Paid cable, satellite, and live TV streaming services also carry most PBS stations.

Is PBS a local channel?

PBS has around 350 locally owned affiliates (or member stations) across the U.S. In most cases, your area’s PBS programming is curated by local station management.

Is PBS Kids a separate channel from PBS?

PBS Kids, which carries shows like Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and Odd Squad, is a separate channel from PBS. Over broadcast, it’s usually a digital sub-channel of PBS. PBS Kids is also available as an app for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and smart TVs.

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