El Paso TV Stations: Every Local Channel and How to Watch Them

Every El Paso TV station

El Paso has eight main English and Spanish-language stations, plus PBS from Las Cruces. The table lists the number you see on your TV, the network and the station's real broadcast channel, which matters for antennas.

On your TV	Network	Station	Broadcast channel
4.1	CBS	KDBC-TV, "CBS 4"	UHF 18
4.2	MyNetworkTV and Roar	KDBC-TV	UHF 18
7.1	ABC	KVIA-TV, "ABC 7"	UHF 17
7.2	The CW	KVIA-TV, "El Paso-Las Cruces CW"	UHF 17
9.1	NBC	KTSM-TV, "NewsChannel 9"	UHF 16
9.2	Estrella TV	KTSM-TV	UHF 16
13.1	PBS	KCOS, "PBS El Paso"	VHF 13
14.1	FOX	KFOX-TV, "KFOX 14"	UHF 16, from KTSM
22.1	PBS	KRWG-TV, Las Cruces	UHF 23
26.1	Univision	KINT-TV	UHF 25
48.1	Telemundo	KTDO, Las Cruces	UHF 26
65.1	UniMás	KTFN	UHF 20

Channels from the RabbitEars El Paso market list and each station's record on Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026. Our El Paso channel numbers guide lists every subchannel, from Antenna TV on 4.3 to Grit on 7.7.

One mountain, almost every tower

Nearly every El Paso station transmits from the top of the Franklin Mountains, inside the city limits. The towers you see on the ridge from downtown are the TV antennas.

KTSM moved its transmitter to Ranger Peak in 1959. KFOX, KDBC, KVIA, KINT and KTDO broadcast from the same ridge. By the coordinates in their station records, that's 3 to 4 miles north of downtown. Las Cruces is the exception: KRWG's main transmitter sits on Tortugas Mountain, east of Las Cruces, with a second one on the Franklins.

For antennas, a mountain in the middle of town cuts both ways. The towers sit high above almost every neighborhood, so most of El Paso has a strong line of sight. Still, a ridge can shadow homes tucked into canyons or set low against a slope. If reception is patchy, a roof or attic antenna aimed at the towers beats one in a window facing away from them.

Why FOX 14 comes from NBC 9's transmitter

Since December 2023, KFOX's own transmitter has broadcast in NextGen TV, and its regular FOX 14 signal travels on KTSM's transmitter instead. It's the most confusing thing about El Paso TV, and the easiest to fix.

KFOX's channel, UHF 15, became the market's ATSC 3.0 "lighthouse." It carries NextGen versions of KFOX, KDBC, KVIA, KTSM and KTDO. Only newer NextGen TVs can decode them. In exchange, the other stations carry KFOX's regular channels in the format every TV understands:

• FOX 14.1 rides on KTSM's signal, UHF 16.
• Comet 14.2 and Charge! 14.3 ride on KTDO's signal, UHF 26.
• The Nest 14.4 rides on KDBC's signal, UHF 18.

So if FOX 14 is missing or breaking up, your antenna isn't failing on KFOX. It's struggling with KTSM's signal. Run a fresh channel scan, and if NBC 9 is weak too, adjust the antenna toward the Franklins until both come in. It's like FOX moved in with NBC and forgot to tell the neighbors.

El Paso TV history in three facts

El Paso's TV history starts in December 1952, with the station now called CBS 4. Three facts explain today's dial:

1. CBS 4 came first. KDBC signed on December 14, 1952, as KROD-TV, carrying CBS and DuMont. KTSM followed on January 4, 1953.
2. ABC 7 and PBS 13 swapped channels. PBS El Paso signed on August 18, 1978, on channel 7. In July 1981 it traded places with KVIA, then on channel 13, in a deal where KVIA let the public station use its transmitter.
3. Univision had the Spanish dial to itself for years. KINT signed on May 5, 1984, and for many years it was the only Spanish-language station in the market. Telemundo arrived on KTDO in 1998.

Ownership is more consolidated than the channel list suggests. Sinclair owns both CBS 4 and FOX 14, which share studios. Nexstar owns NBC 9, and Entravision owns Univision 26 and UniMás 65. Texas Tech has owned PBS El Paso since 2019.

Antenna tips for El Paso

A UHF antenna aimed at the Franklin Mountains gets almost every El Paso station, but PBS 13 needs VHF. KCOS is the only main station still broadcasting on VHF channel 13, and many flat indoor antennas are weak on VHF.

1. Buy an antenna rated for VHF and UHF. The box should say VHF-High or channels 7 to 13. Without it, you may get everything except PBS 13.
2. Aim at the ridge. From most of the city, that means pointing toward the towers you can see on the Franklins.
3. Scan twice. Run one scan, adjust the antenna, then scan again. TVs keep the channels they find, so a second scan can add the stragglers.
4. Expect Juárez too. A good antenna picks up channels from Ciudad Juárez. They'll show up as numbers like 2.1, 5.1 and 44.1 between the El Paso ones.

Before buying, put your address into the FCC's DTV reception map. It lists which stations should reach your home and their signal strength.

The stations from Ciudad Juárez

Nine Mexican TV stations from Ciudad Juárez reach El Paso over the air. They carry Mexico's national networks, local Juárez news and some FC Juárez matches.

On your TV	Network	Station
1.1	Azteca Uno	XHCJE
2.1	Las Estrellas	XEPM
3.1	Imagen TV	XHCTCJ
5.1	Canal 5	XHJUB
6.1	Multimedios	XHMTCH
8.1	Televisa Juárez	XHJCI
20.1	Azteca 7 ("El Siete")	XHCJH
44.1	Canal 44 news	XHIJ

Notice the overlap. Juárez's channel 2 and 5 sit right next to El Paso's 4, 7 and 9, so a channel scan mixes the two countries together. Our guide to Spanish and Mexican TV in El Paso covers every station, FC Juárez and the paid options.

UTEP, the Cowboys and Mountain Time

El Paso is on Mountain Time, so NFL kickoffs come an hour earlier than in Dallas. The Sunday early games start at 11 a.m. on CBS 4 and FOX 14, and the late games at 2:05 or 2:25 p.m.

• UTEP Miners football joined the Mountain West in 2026. Six games stream on MW+, the conference's service at $10.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Three home games are on FOX networks. The November 20 game at Air Force is on The CW, free in El Paso on ABC 7.2.
• The Dallas Cowboys are usually the Sunday game on El Paso's CBS 4 or FOX 14, depending on the week's schedule.
• FC Juárez, across the river, plays in Liga MX. In 2026 its matches have aired in the US on Telemundo, Universo and Peacock.

For the full price of a football season, see our guide to the cheapest way to watch the NFL.

Watching El Paso TV without cable

You can watch the El Paso stations without cable in three ways: an antenna, a live-TV streaming service or IPTV.

• An antenna, $25 to $60 once, gets every station above and the Juárez channels free.
• A live-TV streaming service. YouTube TV costs $82.99 a month. Check your ZIP code in its channel lookup, because carriage of local stations varies by market. Our ranking of the cheapest live TV with local channels compares every service.
• IPTVZ, $74.99 for 12 months on one device.

Our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 lists ABC 7 KVIA, CBS 4 KDBC, NBC 9 KTSM, FOX 14 KFOX and Telemundo KTDO by name. Univision 26 KINT, UniMás 65 KTFN and PBS 13 KCOS are on the panel too. It also has a Ciudad Juárez section with 37 channels, including Las Estrellas, Canal 5, Azteca Uno, Azteca 7, Imagen TV and Canal 44. Our guide to IPTV in El Paso covers internet speed and setup, and leaving Spectrum in El Paso prices the switch.

El Paso is one of 19 Texas TV markets. Our Texas local channels guide covers the rest of the state. The Las Cruces TV stations guide covers the New Mexico side of the market.

El Paso TV FAQ

What channel is NBC in El Paso?

NBC is KTSM-TV, channel 9.1, "NewsChannel 9." It broadcasts on UHF 16 from the Franklin Mountains and also carries FOX 14 for KFOX.

What channel is CBS in El Paso?

CBS is KDBC-TV, channel 4.1, "CBS 4." It's El Paso's oldest TV station, on the air since December 1952.

What channel is ABC in El Paso?

ABC is KVIA-TV, channel 7.1, "ABC 7." Its subchannel 7.2 carries The CW for El Paso and Las Cruces.

What channel is FOX in El Paso?

FOX is KFOX-TV, channel 14.1. Since December 2023, its regular signal is broadcast from KTSM's transmitter on UHF 16, while KFOX's own channel carries NextGen TV.

What channel is PBS in El Paso?

PBS El Paso is KCOS, channel 13.1, on VHF 13, so your antenna must handle VHF. Las Cruces also has PBS on KRWG, channel 22.1.

Can I watch Mexican TV in El Paso with an antenna?

Yes. Stations from Ciudad Juárez reach most of El Paso over the air. Look for Las Estrellas on 2.1, Canal 5 on 5.1, Azteca Uno on 1.1 and Azteca 7 on 20.1.

Why can't I get FOX 14 in El Paso?

FOX 14 travels on KTSM's signal, so check NBC 9 too. If both are weak, re-aim the antenna toward the Franklin Mountains and run a new channel scan.

The short version

• CBS 4, ABC 7, NBC 9, PBS 13, FOX 14, Univision 26, Telemundo 48 and UniMás 65 are El Paso's main stations.
• Almost every tower stands on the Franklin Mountains, north of downtown.
• FOX 14 rides on NBC 9's transmitter, and PBS 13 needs VHF.
• Nine Juárez stations come in free with an antenna.
• IPTVZ carries the El Paso network stations and a Juárez lineup for $74.99 a year.

El Paso has a lot of TV for free, and a little more for very little. If the antenna fights you, the IPTVZ free trial takes a day. Weighing cable instead? Our guide to what cable TV costs in Texas includes El Paso's Spectrum prices.