Harlingen TX Local Channels: Every Station and What Happened to Channel 4

Harlingen TX local channels

Harlingen gets every Rio Grande Valley station, most from a few miles away. Here they are, with the city each one is licensed to.

Channel	Network	Station	Licensed to
4.1	The CW	KGBT-TV	Harlingen
4.2, 4.4	MyNetworkTV, Antenna TV	KGBT-TV	Harlingen
5.1	ABC	KRGV-TV	Weslaco
21.1	PBS	KMBH-CD	McAllen
23.1	NBC	KVEO-TV	Brownsville
23.2	CBS	KVEO-TV	Brownsville
40.1	Telemundo	KTLM, via Harlingen translator	Rio Grande City
44.1	TBN	KLUJ-TV	Harlingen
48.1	Univision	KNVO	McAllen
60.1, 67.1	FOX	KFXV and its repeaters	Harlingen

We built this list on October 19, 2026, from RabbitEars' Harlingen market page, which, fittingly, names the whole Valley market after this city. For McAllen and the rest, see the Rio Grande Valley TV stations guide.

The story of channel 4

KGBT, channel 4, is the oldest TV station in the Valley and the one that has changed the most. In 73 years, it went from the Valley's first station to a CBS fixture to a CW station.

1. October 4, 1953: the station signs on as KGBS-TV, the first TV station on the American side of the Valley. It becomes KGBT that December.
2. 1953 to 2020: KGBT is the Valley's CBS station for more than six decades.
3. January 28, 2020: at midnight, CBS, KGBT's newsroom and its shows move to KVEO's second channel, 23.2. A Nexstar and Sinclair legal settlement set it up. Nexstar later buys KGBT outright, in 2021.
4. March 8, 2024: KGBT's La Feria tower, 1,337 feet tall by Nexstar's count, is taken down after support cables snap.
5. September 1, 2026: The CW moves to KGBT 4.1, which becomes a CW-owned station. Antenna TV returns on 4.4 the same day.

So the CBS newscast you used to watch on 4 is the same news operation, now on 23.2. Viewers who still look for "CBS 4" are looking at the right newsroom on the wrong number.

How Harlingen's old PBS station became FOX

KFXV, channel 60, started life as the Valley's PBS station and now carries FOX. It's one of the stranger station histories in Texas.

• 1982: the station signs on as KZLN, a PBS station, and returns in 1985 as KMBH, the Valley's PBS member for three decades.
• 2018 and 2019: a power surge on January 25, 2018, damages the transmitter. A second failure in February 2019 takes it off the air.
• 2019 and 2020: Entravision buys the station for $2.9 million, and on May 27, 2020, it becomes KFXV, simulcasting FOX Rio Grande Valley.

PBS came back to the Valley on channel 21, now KMBH-CD. If you have PBS on 21.1 or 21.4 and FOX on 60.1 or 67.1, your TV is up to date.

Why Harlingen is the Valley's easiest antenna city

Harlingen sits about 8 to 11 miles from the Valley's main towers, closer than McAllen or Brownsville. Even a modest indoor antenna usually gets the core stations.

Towers	Stations	From Harlingen
La Feria and Santa Maria	ABC 5, NBC and CBS 23, FOX 60, PBS 21, CW 4	About 8 to 11 mi west-southwest
Harlingen	TBN 44 KLUJ	About 5 mi west
Near Donna	Univision 48, UniMás	About 24 mi west-southwest
Near Rio Grande City	Telemundo 40 main tower	About 63 mi west-northwest

Distances we computed from each station's listed coordinates to central Harlingen. The one catch is ABC 5 KRGV, which broadcasts on VHF 13. Pick an antenna rated for VHF-High, and it'll pull ABC in easily at this distance; our guide to VHF antenna reception in Texas explains why. The FCC's DTV reception map confirms the signals at your address.

When to rescan your TV

Run a fresh channel scan whenever a Harlingen channel disappears or shows the wrong network. Your TV remembers the old map until you tell it to look again.

1. On the remote, press Settings or Menu and look for the tuner or channel setup.
2. Choose Antenna or Air, not Cable.
3. Let it finish, then check 4.1, 5.1, 23.1, 23.2 and 67.1.
4. If Telemundo 40 is missing, turn the antenna slightly west-northwest and scan again.

Rescanning after September 1, 2026, matters most, since that's when The CW arrived on channel 4 and channel 21 became all PBS.

Mexican stations in Harlingen

Harlingen picks up Mexican stations from Matamoros and Reynosa, though less strongly than Brownsville or McAllen. Matamoros is about 25 miles south-southeast, and Reynosa about 36 miles west.

Channels to try include Azteca Uno on 1.1, Multimedios on 6.1, Azteca 7 on 7.1, Vallevisión on 8.1 and Las Estrellas on 9.1. An outdoor antenna pointed south helps. Our guide to Spanish and Mexican TV in the Valley lists them all.

Harlingen TV without cable

Harlingen's short distance to the towers makes an antenna the obvious first choice. For cable channels too, there are two more routes.

• An antenna, $25 to $60 once.
• Spectrum, the Valley's cable company. What it costs, and what you keep if you drop it, is in our guide to leaving Spectrum in the Valley.
• A live-TV streaming service. Our ranking of the cheapest live TV with local channels compares the prices.
• IPTVZ, $74.99 for 12 months on one device.

Our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 lists ABC KRGV, NBC KVEO, FOX 67 and KFXV, a Valley CBS channel and Telemundo KTLM. Univision 48 KNVO is on the panel too. It also has sections for Matamoros (23 channels) and Reynosa (28 channels). See IPTV in the Rio Grande Valley for setup and speed.

Harlingen TV FAQ

What happened to CBS 4 in Harlingen?

CBS left KGBT channel 4 at midnight on January 28, 2020, and moved to channel 23.2 on KVEO. The CBS newscasts moved with it.

What is on channel 4 in Harlingen now?

The CW, as of September 1, 2026. Channel 4's extra feeds carry MyNetworkTV programs on 4.2 and classic sitcoms from Antenna TV on 4.4.

What channel is FOX in Harlingen?

FOX is on 67.1, and Harlingen-licensed KFXV simulcasts it on 60.1. Either number shows the same FOX Rio Grande Valley feed.

Which TV stations are based in Harlingen?

KGBT 4, KFXV 60 and KLUJ 44 are licensed to Harlingen. The other Valley stations are licensed to Weslaco, McAllen, Brownsville and Rio Grande City.

Do I need an outdoor antenna in Harlingen?

Usually not. The main towers are about 8 to 11 miles away, so an indoor VHF and UHF antenna often works. Telemundo and the Mexican stations may need an outdoor one.

Why did my Harlingen channels change?

Several Valley networks moved. CBS went to 23.2 in 2020, FOX to 67 and KFXV 60, PBS to channel 21, and The CW to channel 4 in September 2026. A new channel scan updates your TV.

The short version

• Harlingen is home to KGBT 4, KFXV 60 and KLUJ 44.
• CBS moved from 4 to 23.2 in 2020, and The CW took channel 4 in 2026.
• KFXV, now FOX, was the Valley's PBS station for decades.
• The main towers are about 9 miles away, so reception is easy.
• Rescan after any change, or use IPTVZ and find channels by name.

Harlingen started Valley TV, and it's still the easiest place to watch it for free. When you want more than the antenna offers, the IPTVZ free trial takes a day. Down the road, our guide to Brownsville TV stations shows how much harder the antenna works there.