Corpus Christi TV Stations: Every Local Channel and How to Watch Them

Every Corpus Christi TV station

The Coastal Bend has six full-power stations plus a handful of low-power ones that carry Telemundo, UniMás and dozens of extra channels.

On your TV	Network	Station	Broadcast channel
3.1	ABC	KIII, "KIII-TV 3"	VHF 8
6.1	NBC	KRIS-TV, "6 News"	UHF 26
10.1	CBS	KZTV, "Action 10 News"	VHF 10
10.2	Telemundo	KZTV, for KAJA	VHF 10
16.1	PBS	KEDT	UHF 23
28.1	Univision	KORO	UHF 27
38.1	FOX	KSCC, "Fox 38"	UHF 19
38.3	The CW and MyNetworkTV	KSCC	UHF 19
41.1	UniMás	KCRP-CD	UHF 17
47.1	Telemundo	K22JA-D, "KAJA Telemundo"	UHF 22

We cross-checked this table on October 19, 2026, against RabbitEars' Corpus Christi page and the stations' own records. Our Corpus Christi channel numbers guide lists all the subchannels, from MeTV on 3.2 to Grit on 6.3.

Why two of the big four need VHF

KIII, ABC 3, broadcasts on VHF channel 8, and KZTV, CBS 10, on VHF channel 10. That puts two of the market's four main networks on the band that gives cheap indoor antennas the most trouble.

That matters because many cheap flat antennas are built mainly for UHF. On one of those, a Corpus Christi viewer can get NBC 6 and FOX 38 perfectly and lose ABC and CBS. A VHF signal also fills in more slowly behind buildings than you'd expect. The fix is an antenna that lists VHF-High, channels 7 to 13, on the box. Our channel numbers guide shows the full VHF and UHF split.

KRIS used to be the third. It broadcast its digital signal on VHF 13 until February 2022, when it moved to UHF 26. If NBC 6 vanished from your TV around then, a rescan brings it back.

The Robstown tower farm

Nearly every Corpus Christi station transmits from the flat farmland near Robstown and Petronila, about 13 to 16 miles west-southwest of downtown.

• NBC 6 KRIS and FOX 38 KSCC: about 13 miles west-southwest.
• PBS 16 KEDT: about 14 miles southwest, near Petronila.
• CBS 10 KZTV and Univision 28 KORO: about 16 miles west-southwest, between Petronila and Robstown.
• ABC 3 KIII: about 16 miles southwest, near Robstown.
• UniMás 41 KCRP-CD: the exception, on Navigation Boulevard on the city's west side.

Distances and directions we computed from each station's listed coordinates to downtown. For most of the city, one antenna aimed west-southwest covers everything. On Padre Island and in Portland, the towers are farther, so a roof or attic antenna helps. The FCC's DTV reception map shows the expected signal at your address.

Who owns what, and the shared newsroom

Corpus Christi's English-language TV news comes from three operators, because NBC 6 and CBS 10 run as one.

• Scripps owns KRIS and operates KZTV and the Telemundo station. KRIS and KZTV have simulcast their newscasts since October 2023, so NBC 6 and CBS 10 often show the same local news.
• Nexstar owns ABC 3 KIII, through Tegna, which it bought on March 19, 2026.
• Sinclair owns FOX 38 KSCC, which added The CW on 38.3 in 2024.
• Entravision owns Univision 28 KORO and UniMás 41.
• South Texas Public Broadcasting runs PBS 16 KEDT from Del Mar College.

So for two different English newscasts at 6 p.m., it's ABC 3 or the NBC and CBS team. FOX 38 and Univision 28 add their own news.

Corpus Christi TV history in four facts

1. The first station is now ABC 3. KVDO-TV signed on June 20, 1954, on UHF 22 with DuMont. Its successor, KIII, launched on May 4, 1964, as a full ABC affiliate.
2. NBC 6 was the first VHF station. KRIS signed on May 23, 1956, four months ahead of channel 10.
3. CBS 10 trained a generation of reporters. KZTV started as KSIX-TV in September 1956 and for decades ran as a "teaching affiliate," full of reporters in their first jobs.
4. FOX 38 is the youngest. KSCC began as KUQI in January 2008 and took the FOX affiliation the day after Super Bowl XLII.

Local TV in hurricane season

On the Coastal Bend, local TV is a safety tool from June to November. When Hurricane Harvey made landfall nearby in August 2017, KRIS and KZTV combined their newsrooms on air to cover it.

That's an argument for keeping a free antenna even if you stream. When the power or internet goes down, a battery TV or a TV on a generator with an antenna still gets KIII, KRIS and KZTV. Towers fail too, though: KRIS's tower came down in high winds on April 29, 2020. Having more than one way to watch is the safest setup.

Watching Corpus Christi TV without cable

Without cable, Corpus Christi viewers use an antenna, a live-TV streaming service or IPTV.

• An antenna with VHF, $25 to $60 once, for every station above.
• Streaming live TV. YouTube TV runs $82.99 a month; a 784xx ZIP in its channel finder confirms KIII and the others.
• IPTVZ, $74.99 for 12 months on one device.

Our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 lists ABC 3 KIII, NBC 6 KRIS, CBS 10 KZTV, FOX 38 KSCC and Telemundo KAJA by name. Victoria's ABC 25, NBC 17 and FOX 19 are there too, and Univision 28 KORO and PBS 16 KEDT are on the panel. Our guides to IPTV in Corpus Christi and leaving Spectrum in Corpus Christi go further.

Corpus Christi is one of 19 Texas TV markets; see our Texas local channels guide for the rest. Nearby, our guides to Victoria TV stations and Kingsville and Coastal Bend TV cover the edges of the region.

Corpus Christi TV FAQ

What channel is ABC in Corpus Christi?

Channel 3.1, KIII. Its real transmission is on VHF 8, out near Robstown, which is why VHF-weak antennas miss it.

What channel is NBC in Corpus Christi?

NBC is KRIS-TV, channel 6.1, on UHF 26. It moved there from VHF 13 in February 2022.

What channel is CBS in Corpus Christi?

Channel 10.1, KZTV. Scripps operates it alongside NBC 6, and the same signal carries a Telemundo feed on 10.2.

What channel is FOX in Corpus Christi?

FOX is KSCC, channel 38.1. Its 38.3 subchannel carries The CW and MyNetworkTV.

What channel is Univision in Corpus Christi?

Univision is KORO, channel 28.1. UniMás is on KCRP-CD, channel 41.1.

Why can't I get ABC 3 or CBS 10 in Corpus Christi?

They're the two VHF stations in a mostly UHF lineup. Swap a UHF-only flat antenna for one that covers channels 7 to 13, point it toward Robstown, then scan again.

The short version

• ABC 3, NBC 6, CBS 10, PBS 16, Univision 28 and FOX 38 are the main stations.
• ABC 3 and CBS 10 both need a VHF antenna.
• Almost every tower stands near Robstown, 13 to 16 miles west-southwest.
• NBC 6 and CBS 10 share one newsroom; The CW is on 38.3.
• IPTVZ carries KIII, KRIS, KZTV, KSCC and Telemundo for $74.99 a year.

The Coastal Bend gets good free TV once the antenna handles VHF. If you'd rather skip that step, try the IPTVZ free trial. Our guide to VHF antenna reception in Texas explains that step in detail.