NTSC Cable TV Channel Frequencies

The visual carrier frequency is shown in this chart. For the aural carrier frequency, add 4.5 MHz to the visual carrier. The lower edge of the channel is 1.25 MHz below the visual carrier and the upper edge is 4.75 MHz above the visual carrier.

	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
T Band		T-7	7.00
		T-8	13.00
		T-9	19.00
		T-10	25.00
		T-11	31.00
		T-12	37.00
		T-13	43.00
		T-14	49.00
Low Band	2	2	55.25	54.0027	55.2625	55.25
	3	3	61.25	60.0030	61.2625	61.25
	4	4	67.25	66.0033	67.2625	67.25
	1	A-8		72.0036	73.2625
	5	5	77.25	78.0039	79.2625	77.25
	6	6	83.25	84.0042	85.2625	83.25
FM Band	95	A-5	91.25	90.0045	91.2625
	96	A-4	97.25	96.0048	97.2625
	97	A-3	103.25	102.0051	103.2625
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
Mid Band	98	A-2	109.275/2	108.0054	109.275
	99	A-1	115.275/2	114.0057	115.275
	14	A	121.2625/1	120.0060	121.2625	471.25
	15	B	127.2625/1	126.0063	127.2625	477.25
	16	C	133.2625/1	132.0066	133.2625	483.25
	17	D	139.25	138.0069	139.2625	489.25
	18	E	145.25	144.0072	145.2625	495.25
	19	F	151.25	150.0075	151.2625	501.25
	20	G	157.25	156.0078	157.2625	507.25
	21	H	163.25	162.0081	163.2625	513.25
	22	I	169.25	168.0084	169.2625	519.25
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
High Band	7	7	175.25	174.0087	175.2625	175.25
	8	8	181.25	180.0090	181.2625	181.25
	9	9	187.25	186.0093	187.2625	187.25
	10	10	193.25	192.0096	193.2625	193.25
	11	11	199.25	198.0099	199.2625	199.25
	12	12	205.25	204.0102	205.2625	205.25
	13	13	211.25	210.0105	211.2625	211.25
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
Super Band	23	J	217.25	216.0108	217.2625	525.25
	24	K	223.25	222.0111	223.2625	531.25
	25	L	229.2625/1	228.0114	229.2625	537.25
	26	M	235.2625/1	234.0117	235.2625	543.25
	27	N	241.2625/1	240.0120	241.2625	549.25
	28	O	247.2625/1	246.0123	247.2625	555.25
	29	P	253.2625/1	252.0126	253.2625	561.25
	30	Q	259.2625/1	258.0129	259.2625	567.25
	31	R	265.2625/1	264.0132	265.2625	573.25
	32	S	271.2625/1	270.0135	271.2625	579.25
	33	T	277.2625/1	276.0138	277.2625	585.25
	34	U	283.2625/1	282.0141	283.2625	591.25
	35	V	289.2625/1	288.0144	289.2625	597.25
	36	W	295.2625/1	294.0147	295.2625	603.25
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
Hyper Band	37	AA	301.2625/1	300.0150	301.2625	609.25
	38	BB	307.2625/1	306.0153	307.2625	615.25
	39	CC	313.2625/1	312.0156	313.2625	621.25
	40	DD	319.2625/1	318.0159	319.2625	627.25
	41	EE	325.2625/1	324.0162	325.2625	633.25
	42	FF	331.275/2	330.0165	331.275	639.25
	43	GG	337.2625/1	336.0168	337.2625	645.25
	44	HH	343.2625/1	342.0171	343.2625	651.25
	45	II	349.2625/1	348.0174	349.2625	657.25
	46	JJ	355.2625/1	354.0177	355.2625	663.25
	47	KK	361.2625/1	360.0180	361.2625	669.25
	48	LL	367.2625/1	366.0183	367.2625	675.25
	49	MM	373.2625/1	372.0186	373.2625	681.25
	50	NN	379.2625/1	378.0189	379.2625	687.25
	51	OO	385.2625/1	384.0192	385.2625	693.25
	52	PP	391.2625/1	390.0195	391.2625	699.25
	53	QQ	397.2625/1	396.0198	397.2625	705.25
	54	RR	403.25	402.0201	403.2625	711.25
	55	SS	409.25	408.0204	409.2625	717.25
	56	TT	415.25	414.0207	415.2625	723.25
	57	UU	421.25	420.0210	421.2625	729.25
	58	VV	427.25	426.0213	427.2625	735.25
	59	WW	433.25	432.0216	433.2625	741.25
	60	XX	439.25	438.0219	439.2625	747.25
	61	YY	445.25	444.0222	445.2625	753.25
	62	ZZ	451.25	450.0225	451.2625	759.25
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
	63		457.25	456.0228	457.2625	765.25
	64		463.25	462.0231	463.2625	771.25
	65		469.25	468.0234	469.2625	777.25
	66		475.25	474.0237	475.2625	783.25
	67		481.25	480.0240	481.2625	789.25
	68		487.25	486.0243	487.2625	795.25
	69		493.25	492.0246	493.2625	801.25
	70		499.25	498.0249	499.2625	807.25
	71		505.25	504.0252	505.2625	813.25
	72		511.25	510.0255	511.2625	819.25
	73		517.25	516.0258	517.2625	825.25
	74		523.25	522.0261	523.2625	831.25
	75		529.25	528.0264	529.2625	837.25
	76		535.25	534.0267	535.2625	843.25
	77		541.25	540.0270	541.2625	849.25
	78		547.25	546.0273	547.2625	855.25
	79		553.25	552.0276	553.2625	861.25
	80		559.25	558.0279	559.2625	867.25
	81		565.25	564.0282	565.2625	873.25
	82		571.25	570.0285	571.2625	879.25
	83		577.25	576.0288	577.2625	885.25
	84		583.25	582.0291	583.2625
	85		589.25	588.0294	589.2625
	86		595.25	594.0297	595.2625
	87		601.25	600.0300	601.2625
	88		607.25	606.0303	607.2625
	89		613.25	612.0306	613.2625
	90		619.25	618.0309	619.2625
	91		625.25	624.0312	625.2625
	92		631.25	630.0315	631.2625
	93		637.25	636.0318	637.2625
	94		643.25	642.0321	643.2625
	100		649.25	648.0324	649.2625
	101		655.25	654.0327	655.2625
	102		661.25	660.0330	661.2625
	103		667.25	666.0333	667.2625
104		673.25	672.0336	673.2625
105		679.25	678.0339	679.2625
106		685.25	684.0342	685.2625
107		691.25	690.0345	691.2625
108		697.25	696.0348	697.2625
109		703.25	702.0351	703.2625
110		709.25	708.0354	709.2625
111		715.25	714.0357	715.2625
112		721.25	720.0360	721.2625
113		727.25	726.0363	727.2625
114		733.25	732.0366	733.2625
115		739.25	738.0369	739.2625
116		745.25	744.0372	745.2625
117		751.25	750.0375	751.2625
118		757.25	756.0378	757.2625
119		763.25	762.0381	763.2625
120		769.25	768.0384	769.2625
121		775.25	774.0387	775.2625
122		781.25	780.0390	781.2625
123		787.25	786.0393	787.2625
124		793.25	792.0396	793.2625
125		799.25	798.0399	799.2625
	EIA/NCTA	Traditional	Standard	HRC	IRC	Broadcast
	Channel designation		Visual carrier (MHz)

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1. Cable channels operating on frequencies used in the aeronautical radiocommunications bands 118-137, 225-328.6 and 335.4-400 MHz are required to be offset by 12.5 kHz from 25 kHz-spaced channels [FCC Rules section 76.612 (a)]. The common offset is positive.

2. Cable channels operating on frequencies used in the aeronautical radiocommunications bands 108-118 and 328.6-335.4 MHz are required to be offset by 25 kHz from 50 kHz-spaced channels [FCC Rules section 76.612 (b)]. The common offset is positive.

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More information on television channel frequencies:

In 1997, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved standard EIA-542, Cable Television Channel Identification Plan. The standard can be purchased from Global Engineering Documents. The standard specifies HRC channels as shown here except that channel 98 is 108.025 MHz and channel 99 is 114.025 MHz.

To calculate the frequency of any EIA-542 channel above 99:

Standard:

Frequency_in_MHz=(6*(8+channel_designation))+1.25

HRC:

Frequency_in_MHz =6.0003*(8+channel_designation)

IRC:

Frequency_in_MHz =(6*(8+channel_designation))+1.2625

The frequency of over-the-air broadcast channels 2 through 69 is specified in FCC Rule 73.603. Channels 70 through 83 were re-allocated for other services but older equipment is capable of receiving on those channels.

"HRC" is harmonically related carriers. "IRC" is incrementally related carriers. These are schemes that some cable systems use to reduce the visibility of beat products.

"By harmonically relating the carrier frequencies themselves it is ... possible to improve system performance. This does not reduce the beats produced, but positions them within the system transmission spectrum such that they are more tolerable. In effect, all signal carriers are spaced precisely 6 MHz apart, thus all beats generated are at 6 MHz increments.

"Since the television signals are vestigial sideband modulated, if the beat products can be manipulated to fall on or near the RF carriers themselves, they are much less offensive.."

--from William Grant, Cable Television, 2nd edition, GWG Associates, Schoharie, NY, 1988, page 82

The FCC rules suggest that the actual frequency of the fundamental oscillator in HRC comb generators "shall be 6.0003 MHz [FCC Rule 76.612 (a) (2)]."