What WLAE-TV's Broadcast Frequency Change Means for Viewers

Updated

WLAE-TV is changing its broadcast frequency, and if you watch the station over the air with an antenna, you will likely need to rescan your TV or converter box to keep receiving it. Cable and satellite subscribers are generally unaffected because their provider handles the signal. The station's own site points viewers to a "WLAE Changing to New Broadcast Frequency" notice with a "CLICK FOR INFO" link, so that page is the place to confirm the exact timing and any channel-number details for your area.

Why a frequency change happens

In the U.S., television stations can be assigned a new physical channel as part of spectrum repacking—the process of moving broadcasters into a smaller band of frequencies. When that happens, the station keeps its familiar channel number as it appears on your screen (its "virtual" channel), but the actual radio frequency it transmits on changes. Your TV stores the old frequency in its channel memory, so it can lose the station until you rescan.

That distinction matters: you are not looking for a new channel number to type in. You are asking the TV to search the airwaves again and rebuild its list of what is available.

If you watch with an antenna

  1. Confirm the change applies to you. Check the WLAE frequency-change notice on wlae.com. If you subscribe to cable or satellite, you can skip this section.
  2. Open your TV's channel menu. Look for a menu item labeled something like Channel Scan, Auto Program, Auto Tuning, Rescan, or Scan for Channels. On converter boxes the wording is similar.
  3. Choose the full/automatic scan, not a "add channel" or manual option, unless the station's notice tells you to enter a specific RF channel.
  4. Let the scan run to completion. It may take several minutes. Do not unplug the TV or box mid-scan.
  5. Verify the result. Tune to WLAE's usual channel number. If it appears, you are done. If not, check your antenna connection and position, then rescan once more.

Expected result: the station reappears at the same channel number you used before, now carried on the new frequency.

Common snags

  • Rescan finds nothing. Recheck the antenna cable at both ends, then rescan. Indoor antennas often need to be moved near a window or higher up.
  • Signal breaks up after rescanning. This is usually an antenna or location issue rather than the frequency change itself. Try repositioning before assuming the station is gone.
  • You rescanned but the old channel is still listed and blank. Run a full scan again; some TVs keep stale entries until a complete rescan overwrites them.
  • You use a DVR or streaming device with a tuner. Rescan inside that device's own settings menu, not just on the TV.

If you watch through a provider or online

Cable and satellite customers normally do not need to do anything—the provider retunes the signal on its end. If WLAE disappears from your lineup anyway, contact your provider rather than rescanning your TV.

WLAE also streams programming online, which is an option if over-the-air reception is difficult where you live. The site lists streaming for its daily and Sunday Masses through TheDailyMass.com and Facebook, and it points viewers to YouTube for programs such as Al Scramuzza: The Crawfish King and The Warner Way. The "FIND WLAE ON YOUR LOCAL STATION HERE" link on the homepage is the starting point for checking how the station reaches your specific market.

Where to get the authoritative details

Because the exact date, any temporary interruption, and local channel specifics come from the station, use its own notice rather than secondhand summaries:

  • The "WLAE Changing to New Broadcast Frequency" item on wlae.com, including its "CLICK FOR INFO" link.
  • The "FIND WLAE ON YOUR LOCAL STATION HERE" link for how to receive the station in your area.
  • WLAE's Facebook and YouTube channels, which the site uses for streaming and program notices.

If you rescan and still cannot receive WLAE, the practical next step is to confirm on the station's frequency-change page whether a further change or outage is in effect, then check your antenna setup before contacting the station through its Staff/Contact page.