I’ve gotten lots of comments and emails from readers who’ve lost channels after re-scanning for channels on their TVs. And it’s happened to me too!
Here are some things you can try to help recover the channels you lost.
1. Manually Add Missing Channels Back
The first thing you should try adding the missing channels back, if your TV allows it.
Some TVs let you manually add channels manually in the setup menus. My old Sony Bravia would do this but my new Samsung does not. Consult your TV’s manual.
2. Find the Real RF Channel (Older TVs)
If that doesn’t work, and if you have an older TV, it might not be able to pick up virtual channels properly. This happened with my 2008 Sony TV.
I suddenly lost my local NBC station due to the “FCC Re-Pack”. I re-scanned like you’re supposed to. But then, I lost a whole bunch of other channels, including my local CBS and NBC stations. What happened??
Well, I went on the Station Finder and noticed that my local CBS station, KCBS normally on channel 2.1 on my TV, had moved and had an RF channel of 34. Well, I know that modern TVs have the ability to map a channel’s physical RF channel to a different tuner channel on your TV to make it so the channel number you know and love never changes, even if the physical frequency changes.
So, theoretically, I should have been able to see KCBS on channel 2.1, but for the heck of it, I tried tuning to its physical RF channel, 31.1, and voila!! KCBS was there!!
I actually talked to the head of engineering at KCBS and he told me that some older Sony TVs don’t have the ability to map the RF channel to a different displayed channel. So, on my TV I need to now find KCBS on channel 31.1 instead of channel 2.1.
To figure out if this is happening in your case, go to the Station Finder and enter your zip code. Click the call letters of the station you lost and look for the RF channel.

Try tuning your TV to that channel plus .1 or .3. or other tenths in that channel. So in this example, the RF channel is 31, so you should try tuning to 31.1, 31.3, and so forth (the tenths are more often odd numbers).
If you go back to the original channel for that station (in my case 2.1), it’s possible that your TV will be able to “connect” the new channel to the old displayed channel. In my case, that didn’t work, but I’m happy to get CBS again, even if I have to get it on channel 31.1 instead of 2.1.
3. Move Your Antenna to a Better Location Temporarily and Scan
If your TV doesn’t let you manually add channels, AND you are using an indoor antenna, you might want to try this trick:
Let’s say you are using a flat antenna hanging on your wall. Open the nearest window, and hang your antenna outside, pointing towards the TV towers in your area, then run the scan. You may need a longer coax cable.
That’s an easy way to temporarily give your TV the best possible reception during the scan. When done, bring your antenna back inside. Once your antenna is back to its normal location, you may not be able to tune all of the channels, but at least they will be in your TV’s memory so you can experiment with your antenna position.
4. Update Your TV’s Firmware
Another thing you can try is to update your TV’s firmware (i.e., the software that runs inside your TV), especially if it is an older TV.
Check your TV manufacturer’s website for any updates. Sometimes you can download these to a USB stick, then plug it into your TV to update it.
Try re-scanning after that. You might get the channels back. Or, if your channels came in at odd different channels (like mine did), they might get mapped back to the correct channels after the update.
5. Contact the TV Station
Search Google for the call letters or name of the channel that you’re having problems with to find their website. Often, they’ll have a contact form that you can email if you’re having reception problems.
Amazingly, when I’ve done this, they’ve actually responded and were helpful! One actually told me about the RF channel change I mentioned above. They might have other tips about where to point your antenna and whether it might be worth getting a better antenna.
6. Try These Reception Tips
These are some tried-and-true tips for getting more channels with your indoor antenna. Go through the list and try some of these. Note, these do take time and lots of experimentation!
7. Get a New TV
Modern TVs will be able to sort out the virtual channel problem I described above. If your TV was having a problem with that, a new TV will solve it.
Newer TVs also tend to have better tuners than ones built before, say 2015. People report that Samsung TVs seem to bring in the most broadcast channels, and my own testing agrees with this.
I wouldn’t necessarily get a new TV just to deal with this problem, but let it be one of the factors to consider in your purchasing decision.
Did Any of These Work For You?
Let me know if any of these tips helped you get channels that you lost after your re-scan! If you found a different solution, let me know about it! – Brian
Had channel AZ Sports 44 with Dish OTA now I don’t What happen is Dish trying to make more Money
I MOVED ANTENNA FROM 1 HOME RIGHT NEXT DOOR AND PUT IT 10 FT TALLER AND USED SAME CABLE BUT LOST MOST ALL CHANNELS WHAT CAN I DO ?
Hi Joey,
Check your cable connections. Isolate components by trying the same cable with a different antenna. Then try a different cable with the same antenna.
Best,
Brian
I have three TV” S working off an antenna on my roof. one f them no longer gets my local NBC channel # 4 others are fine. weird.
Hi Don,
Either that TV’s tuner is not as good as the others, or it’s at the end of the cable with weaker signal. Try adding a distribution amp near the antenna if there isn’t one already.
Best,
Brian
thanks
area code 12193. lost channel 55. Used to get it when I scanned channels.But nothing now. Have outside antenna.above roof.
Hi Bob,
From the Station Finder, that channel should be strong. To narrow down the problem, check with your neighbors to see if anyone else is getting that station (check on Facebook, Nextdoor, etc.)
If not, the problem is at the transmitter end. If they are, there could be some interference in your house from another appliance.
Best,
Brian
My tv lost all the channels since morning have tried all I can but in vain wat can I do
Hi Daizzy,
Check your antenna connections to see if they are tight. If your antenna has an amplifer, and you’re able to bypass it, try that as well.
If possible borrow an indoor antenna from a neighbor and try that.
Otherwise, it’s possible that your TV’s tuner has gone bad.
Best,
Brian
Thanks
I cannot find Story TV, formerly 35-1, in 44039 zip code, antenna tv; pleas: how can I find it?
We got my husband a Roku TCL tv for his man cave, before he had a Philips Android tv in there. Anyways with the Philips tv we were able to get our local NBC station but now with the very same antenna on the Roku TCL tv, I have run the channel scan several times and it is not finding the NBC station. Again same antenna just different tv. Oh and we have the same model antenna on our two other Roku TCL tv’s and they get our local NBC station just fine. So this makes no sense to me, any ideas/suggestions??
Thanks!!
Hi Jessie,
Some TV tuners are simply better than others. Sounds like your Android TV might have had a better tuner, and your other Roku TVs are in a slightly better position for reception. Here are some tips to try:
https://www.disablemycable.com/blog/antenna-tips/
Best,
Brian
Just scanned to get better reception on ABC and find I can no longer get my PBS channels. How can I get them back?
Hi Gary,
Some TVs (like my old Sony Bravia) allowed you to enter channels manually in the set up menus. Check your user manual.
Other TVs let you type in the RF channel of the station on your remote (this is not necessarily the same as the channel you know it by). To find the RF channel, enter your zip code in the Station Finder, then click the channel you want and look for “RF channel” below that. You might need to enter the channel number with a “.1” or “-1” after it, depending on your TV.
If you are using an indoor antenna, another thing you can do is temporarily put your antenna outside (like through a window) to grab as many channels as possible, do the scan there, then return it to its regular position inside.
Best,
Brian
By the way, here’s a link to the Station Finder:
https://www.disablemycable.com/station-finder/