Television channel frequencies

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 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.

Contents

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Channel 1 was finally withdrawn on June 14, 1948, and allocated to fixed and mobile services.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.

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]

Assignments since February 25, 1946

Notes

VHF low-band (band I)
Channel Lower edge Video carrier DTV carrier Audio carrier Upper edge
2 54 55.25 54.31 59.75 60
3 60 61.25 60.31 65.75 66
4 66 67.25 66.31 71.75 72
5 76 77.25 76.31 81.75 82
6 82 83.25 82.31 87.75 88

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.

VHF high-band (band III)
Channel Lower edge Video carrier DTV carrier Audio carrier Upper edge
7 174 175.25 174.31 179.75 180
8 180 181.25 180.31 185.75 186
9 186 187.25 186.31 191.75 192
10 192 193.25 192.31 197.75 198
11 198 199.25 198.31 203.75 204
12 204 205.25 204.31 209.75 210
13 210 211.25 210.31 215.75 216

Japan

Note : Basically the frequency spacing for each channel is 6 MHz as the countries above, except between channels 7 and 8 (which overlap).

VHF low-band
Channel Lower edge Video carrier Audio carrier Upper edge
1 90 91.25 95.75 96
2 96 97.25 101.75 102
3 102 103.25 107.75 108
VHF high-band
Channel Lower edge Video carrier Audio carrier Upper edge
4 168 169.25 175.75 176
5 174 175.25 181.75 182
6 180 181.25 187.75 188
7 186 187.25 193.75 194
8 192 193.25 197.75 198
9 198 199.25 203.75 204
10 204 205.25 209.75 210
11 210 211.25 215.75 216
12 216 217.25 221.75 222

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and most British Territories

System A 405 lines (discontinued in 1985)
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
1 45.00 41.50
2 51.75 48.25
3 56.75 53.25
4 61.75 58.25
5 66.75 63.25
6 179.75 176.25
7 184.75 181.25
8 189.75 186.25
9 194.75 191.25
10 199.75 196.25
11 204.75 201.25
12 209.75 206.25
13 214.75 211.25

Republic of Ireland

System I 625 lines
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
A 45.75 51.75
B 53.75 59.75
C 61.75 67.75
D 175.25 181.25
E 183.25 189.25
F 191.25 197.25
G 199.25 205.25
H 207.25 213.25
I 215.25 221.25
J 223.25 229.25

Note: Channel A was never used. 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 BBC 405 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. Note: 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

System B 625 lines
Channel Video carrier (MHz)[1][2] Audio carrier (MHz)
1 41.25 46.75
2 48.25 53.75
2A 49.75 55.25
3 55.25 60.75
4 62.25 67.75
5 75.25 80.75
6 82.25 87.75
7 175.25 180.75
8 182.25 187.75
9 189.25 194.75
10 196.25 201.75
11 203.25 208.75
12 210.25 215.75
13 217.25 222.75
14 224.25 229.75
15 231.25 236.75
16 247.25 252.75

France

System E 819 lines (discontinued in 1986)
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
1 46.00 42.00
2 52.40 41.25
3 56.15 67.30
4 65.55 54.40
5 164.00 175.15
6 173.40 162.25
7 177.15 188.30
8A 185.25 174.10
8 186.55 175.40
9 190.30 201.45
10 199.70 188.55
11 203.45 214.60
12 212.85 201.70
System L 625 lines
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
2 55.75 49.25
3 60.50 54.00
4 63.75 57.25
5 176.00 182.50
6 184.00 190.50
7 192.00 198.50
8 200.00 206.50
9 208.00 214.50
10 216.00 222.50

French overseas departments and territories and former French African colonies

System K 625 lines
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
2 52.25 58.75
3 60.25 66.75
4 175.25 181.75
5 183.25 189.75
6 191.25 197.75
7 199.25 205.75
8 207.25 213.75
9 215.25 221.75

Italy

System B 625 lines (discontinued in 2009) [3]
Channel Video carrier (MHz) Audio carrier (MHz)
A 53.75 59.25
B 62.25 67.75
C 82.25 87.75
D 175.25 180.75
E 183.75 189.25
F 192.25 197.75
G 201.25 206.75
H 210.25 215.75
H1 217.25 222.75
H2 224.25 229.75

Channels A through H are indicated in many European TV's 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

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

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

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
5 183.25 189.25
6 191.25 197.25
7 199.25 205.25
8 207.25 213.25
9 215.25 221.25
10 223.25 229.25
11 231.25 237.25
12 239.25 245.25
13 247.25 253.25

People's Republic of China

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
11 207-215 208.25 214.75 221
12 215-223 216.25 222.75 219

UHF

Americas (most countries), South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines

See North American broadcast television frequencies for frequencies used in North America.

Notes
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)
 Channel   Lower edge   Video carrier   ATSC carrier   Audio carrier   Upper edge 
14 470 471.25 471.31 475.75 476
15 476 477.25 477.31 481.75 482
16 482 483.25 483.31 487.75 488
17 488 489.25 489.31 493.75 494
18 494 495.25 495.31 499.75 500
500 MHz band
19 500 501.25 501.31 505.75 506
20 506 507.25 507.31 511.75 512
21 512 513.25 513.31 517.75 518
22 518 519.25 519.31 523.75 524
23 524 525.25 525.31 529.75 530
24 530 531.25 531.31 535.75 536
25 536 537.25 537.31 541.75 542
26 542 543.25 543.31 547.75 548
27 548 549.25 549.31 553.75 554
28 554 555.25 555.31 559.75 560
29 560 561.25 561.31 565.75 566
30 566 567.25 567.31 571.75 572
31 572 573.25 573.31 577.75 578
32 578 579.25 579.31 583.75 584
33 584 585.25 585.31 589.75 590
34 590 591.25 591.31 595.75 596
600 MHz band
35 596 597.25 597.31 601.75 602
36 602 603.25 603.31 607.75 608
37* 608 609.25* 609.31* 613.75* 614
38 614 615.25 615.31 619.75 620
39 620 621.25 621.31 625.75 626
40 626 627.25 627.31 631.75 632
41 632 633.25 633.31 637.75 638
42 638 639.25 639.31 643.75 644
43 644 645.25 645.31 649.75 650
44 650 651.25 651.31 655.75 656
45 656 657.25 657.31 661.75 662
46 662 663.25 663.31 667.75 668
47 668 669.25 669.31 673.75 674
48 674 675.25 675.31 679.75 680
49 680 681.25 681.31 685.75 686
50 686 687.25 687.31 691.75 692
51 692 693.25 693.31 697.75 698
700 MHz band
52 698 699.25 699.31 703.75 704
53 704 705.25 705.31 709.75 710
54 710 711.25 711.31 715.75 716
55 716 717.25 717.31 721.75 722
56 722 723.25 723.31 727.75 728
57 728 729.25 729.31 733.75 734
58 734 735.25 735.31 739.75 740
59 740 741.25 741.31 745.75 746
60 746 747.25 747.31 751.75 752
61 752 753.25 753.31 757.75 758
62 758 759.25 759.31 763.75 764
63 764 765.25 765.31 769.75 770
64 770 771.25 771.31 775.75 776
65 776 777.25 777.31 781.75 782
66 782 783.25 783.31 787.75 788
67 788 789.25 789.31 793.75 794
68 794 795.25 795.31 799.75 800
69 800 801.25 801.31 805.75 806

Japan

Note: Channels 13-62 are used for analog and digital TV broadcasting.

Frequency spacing for each channel in Japan is same as in the countries above, but the channel number is 1 smaller than those countries; for example, channel 13 in Japan uses the frequency of 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

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

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

See also

References

  1. ^ A. G. Sennitt (ed.), World Radio and TV Handbook Volume 49 1995, Billboard Books, 1995 pages 381-382
  2. ^ O. Lund Johansen (ed.), World Radio-Television Handbook 9th Edition 1955, 1955 page 138
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Broadcasting Stations of the World (Part IV) 16th Edition 1960, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960 pages 97-98