TV Guide Philadelphia: Local Listings & Schedules
Few things feel more annoying than scrolling three different apps and still missing the opening kickoff. If you live in or near Philadelphia, the fix starts with knowing which guide actually matches your setup — antenna, Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, or just a phone screen.
Market rank: #4 in the U.S. (Nielsen DMA) · CBS affiliate: KYW-TV (channel 3) · ABC affiliate: WPVI-TV (channel 6) · NBC affiliate: WCAU-TV (channel 10) · Fox affiliate: WTXF-TV (channel 29)
Quick snapshot
- Philadelphia is the fourth-largest U.S. TV market by Nielsen DMA — big enough that national grids run dedicated local pages for it. (NBC10 station-owned schedule page)
- NBC10 publishes its own local TV schedule page (NBC10 station-owned schedule page).
- FOX LOCAL Philadelphia is a free 24/7 live stream of FOX 29 (FOX 29 Philadelphia station livestream page).
- Comcast and Verizon Fios lineups depend on your exact address and package; TV Guide’s Philadelphia page defaults to ZIP 19102 because channel numbers shift by local system (TV Guide national listings service).
- Over-the-air reception depends on antenna type, placement, and terrain — before you trust any antenna guide, you need to know what your location actually pulls in. (TV Guide national listings service)
- App-based guides pull from different data feeds, which is why two apps rarely agree on a show’s exact end time. (TV Guide national listings service)
- Philadelphia listings run on Eastern Time, with channels in rows and times in columns on OnTVTonight’s grid (OnTVTonight independently compiled grid).
- Network prime-time shows come from the network feed, so the lineup matches across cable and antenna even when local ads differ. (OnTVTonight independently compiled grid)
- Station sites show the day’s local blocks; NBC10’s schedule page, for example, lists what’s on today. (OnTVTonight independently compiled grid)
- For tomorrow’s lineup, TV Guide’s Philadelphia page organizes tonight’s antenna, cable, or satellite schedule in one grid. (6abc Action News WPVI’s home page)
- FOX 29’s “What’s On FOX” page lists any hour of the day on WTXF and its digital subchannels. (6abc Action News WPVI’s home page)
- 6abc’s homepage currently headlines Action News at 11 PM — a reminder that station fronts change through the day (6abc Action News WPVI’s home page).
Read those four cards as two questions: what can you trust, and what depends on your own setup. Station pages answer the first; the second comes down to address, antenna, and provider.
Philadelphia broadcast TV at a glance
Seven local-TV facts drive every guide in this market, and one pattern runs through them: the network shows match everywhere; the channel numbers and local pre-emptions are what change.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Market rank | Philadelphia is the fourth-largest U.S. TV market by Nielsen DMA. |
| CBS affiliate | KYW-TV (channel 3) |
| ABC affiliate | WPVI-TV (channel 6) |
| NBC affiliate | WCAU-TV (channel 10) |
| Fox affiliate | WTXF-TV (channel 29) |
| PBS member station | WHYY-TV (channel 12) |
| Comcast headquarters | Philadelphia, PA |
The pattern: the broadcast flagships are the same however you receive them. The channel numbers, the packages, and the pre-emptions are not.
Where can I find a free local TV guide for Philadelphia?
What is the best TV guide for Philadelphia?
- The strongest free option is the station that actually broadcasts the show. NBC10 publishes a dedicated TV schedule page that lists what’s on channel 10 today (NBC10 station-owned schedule page).
- FOX 29’s “What’s On FOX” page does the same for WTXF’s main channel and its digital subchannels, for any hour of the day.
- For the full dial in one tab, TV Guide’s Philadelphia page assembles tonight’s lineup from a single ZIP code, covering antenna, cable, and satellite.
- OnTVTonight gives the same market a printed-guide feel, with every channel in a row and every time slot in a column.
What is the best free antenna TV guide for Philadelphia?
- Antenna viewers should start with the station pages again — the broadcaster’s own schedule page is the ground truth for its main channel and digital subchannels.
- The over-the-air core is the five big flagships — KYW 3, WPVI 6, WCAU 10, WTXF 29, and WHYY 12 — plus WPHL 17 and WPSG 57.
- For the theoretical full menu before your roof gets involved, TV Stations Near Me counts 36 stations broadcasting 144 digital channels near the city (TV Stations Near Me antenna directory).
An aggregator can lag a station pre-emption by hours; a station’s own schedule page updates at the source. In Philadelphia, that makes the station page the tie-breaker whenever two grids disagree.
The implication: the most reliable free guide in Philadelphia is the station’s own page; the national grids are conveniences, not authorities.
What’s on TV in Philadelphia tomorrow?
When is the local news on Philadelphia TV stations?
- KYW (CBS) carries CBS News Philadelphia at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm, followed by CBS Evening News and Entertainment Tonight, according to TVScheduleCH’s Philadelphia grid (TVScheduleCH’s Philadelphia schedule).
- WPVI (ABC) runs Action News at 4PM, 5PM, and 6PM, then ABC World News Tonight, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune on the same grid (TVScheduleCH’s Philadelphia schedule).
- WTXF (Fox) starts its evening local block with Fox 29 News at 5pm, with more Fox news later in the night — all times Eastern, since these are Philadelphia-market listings.
What are the prime-time shows on Philadelphia channels tomorrow?
- Prime-time programs come from the network feed, so the shows match across cable and antenna; local ad insertions and pre-emptions are the only differences.
- Because the schedule is network-driven, tonight’s grid is the best preview of tomorrow: KYW carries CBS prime time, WPVI carries ABC, WCAU carries NBC, and WTXF carries Fox.
- Station-owned pages refresh for the new day automatically; NBC10’s schedule page and FOX 29’s What’s On FOX page are the two to check before you plan tomorrow night.
What this means: if a Philadelphia station pre-empts a network show for a game, a storm, or a local special, the aggregators eventually sync — the station’s own page tells you first.
How do I get a free TV guide for Comcast or Verizon in Philadelphia?
Does Comcast offer a free TV guide for Philadelphia subscribers?
- If you subscribe to Xfinity in Philadelphia, the on-screen interactive guide is part of the service — no extra cost and nothing to set up.
- Comcast is headquartered in Philadelphia, and the Xfinity guide reflects your household’s exact channel lineup and package, which no national site can fully replicate.
Are Verizon TV listings available for Philadelphia?
- Verizon Fios includes a channel guide on its set-top boxes for Philadelphia-area customers, with the same address-specific numbering as Comcast’s guide.
- Neither provider’s guide works across providers. National services such as TV Guide key their Philadelphia listing to a ZIP code — 19102, for example — because channel numbers vary by local system.
Every provider guide assumes one specific lineup: yours. The same network show sits on a different channel number for Comcast, Fios, and antenna viewers, so a guide is only as accurate as the ZIP code and package it’s built for.
The catch: provider guides are the most accurate tool you’ll get for your own lineup — and the least useful for comparison. To weigh cable against antenna, or Comcast against Fios, you still need one neutral grid alongside them.
Where can I find cable and antenna TV listings for Philadelphia?
What channels are included in the Philadelphia broadcast TV guide?
- The over-the-air menu starts with the five major flagships — KYW (CBS), WPVI (ABC), WCAU (NBC), WTXF (Fox), and WHYY (PBS). TVScheduleCH’s Philadelphia listings track these by channel number, alongside WPHL and WPSG (TVScheduleCH’s Philadelphia listings).
- TV Stations Near Me counts 36 stations broadcasting 144 digital channels in the Philadelphia area — the city-wide menu before antenna placement and terrain filter it down (TV Stations Near Me antenna directory).
What is the best free antenna TV guide for Philadelphia?
- The best free antenna guide is the station’s own schedule page: FOX 29’s “What’s On FOX” page covers WTXF’s main channel and its digital subchannels for any hour of the day.
- NBC10’s TV schedule page does the same for channel 10’s local and network lineup.
- For the full over-the-air dial in one screen, OnTVTonight’s Philadelphia grid arranges channels in rows and times in columns — the same layout as a printed TV guide.
FOX 29’s free FOX LOCAL stream runs on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung TV+, and Vizio, so one of Philadelphia’s biggest stations barely needs a schedule lookup at all — just a bookmark (FOX 29 Philadelphia station livestream page).
The pattern: cable guides show what your subscription unlocks; antenna guides show what your location actually receives. The two overlap on the big five — and split everywhere else.
How can I check CBS TV listings for Philadelphia?
How do I find CBS Philadelphia’s prime-time schedule?
- KYW-TV (channel 3) is the CBS-owned station serving Philadelphia, so CBS prime time is the network feed delivered by KYW.
- KYW’s evening block is built around local news first: CBS News Philadelphia at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm, then CBS Evening News, then Entertainment Tonight — a schedule steady enough to plan a week around.
- CBS network programs are the same across cable and antenna; what changes is KYW’s local syndicated shows, news blocks, and any station pre-emptions, which is why the station-specific view matters.
How can I watch CBS Philadelphia live?
- You need a broadcast path: an antenna tuned to channel 3, or a cable or satellite feed that includes KYW. TV Guide’s Philadelphia page covers exactly that range — tonight’s antenna, cable, or satellite schedule — from one ZIP code (TV Guide national listings service).
- If KYW pre-empts network prime time for a sports special, storm coverage, or breaking news, the on-screen provider guide and KYW’s own listings are the two sources that reflect it first; national grids sync shortly after.
Why this matters: network CBS shows are identical for every viewer in the market; KYW’s local newscasts and pre-emptions are the part you actually need a local schedule for.
Comparing the main Philadelphia TV guide options
Four free ways to find Philadelphia listings, and only one pattern holds: the station-owned pages are the source data, and the national grids repackage it at market scale.
| Guide | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| NBC10’s TV schedule page (station-owned) | What’s on WCAU (channel 10) today | Verifying NBC10’s local blocks before trusting an aggregator |
| FOX 29’s “What’s On FOX” page (station-owned) | WTXF (channel 29) plus digital subchannels, any hour | Antenna viewers who want the full FOX 29 family of channels |
| TV Guide — Philadelphia listings (national listings service) | Tonight’s antenna, cable, and satellite schedule for ZIP 19102 | A quick whole-market view without switching tabs |
| OnTVTonight — Philadelphia (independently compiled grid) | Channel-by-channel rows, time-slot columns | Reading the schedule like a printed TV guide |
The trade-off: station pages are authoritative but narrow; national grids are broad but one step removed from the station’s own pre-emption decisions.
How to build your own free Philadelphia TV guide in five minutes
- Write down your ZIP code. The right ZIP makes any national listing accurate — TV Guide’s Philadelphia page, for example, is built around 19102.
- Decide your delivery path: antenna, cable, or streaming device. The path decides which guide is authoritative — antenna viewers need station pages; cable viewers need the provider guide plus a national grid.
- Bookmark the station pages: NBC10’s TV schedule page and FOX 29’s What’s On FOX page cover two of the market’s biggest local news operations.
- Add one aggregator for the full dial: OnTVTonight’s Philadelphia grid or TV Guide’s Philadelphia page.
- Cross-check one prime-time slot tonight. If the aggregator matches the station page, the grid is reliable for the week; if it doesn’t, the station page wins.
The upshot: five minutes of setup gives you a guide that no single provider controls — and the guide button on your remote becomes a backup, not a dependency.
Philadelphia TV listings: confirmed vs. unclear
Confirmed facts
- Philadelphia is in the Eastern Time Zone, so every local listing runs on Eastern time — no conversion needed for viewers in the city or its suburbs.
- KYW-TV is the CBS-owned station serving Philadelphia; WPVI-TV (ABC), WCAU-TV (NBC), WTXF-TV (Fox), and WHYY-TV (PBS) are the market’s other major broadcasters.
- Station-owned schedule pages are free and public; NBC10 publishes one, and FOX 29’s FOX LOCAL is a free 24/7 live stream.
What’s unclear
- Comcast and Verizon Fios channel lineups depend on the subscriber’s exact address and package — no single printed grid fits every Philadelphia household.
- How many over-the-air channels you receive depends on antenna type, placement, and terrain; TV Stations Near Me’s count of 36 stations and 144 digital channels is the city-wide ceiling, not a promise for your living room.
- App-based TV guides pull from different data sources, so two apps can disagree on the same show’s end time — OnTVTonight compiles its own grid, independent of the cable feed.
- Station homepages change through the day; 6abc’s current front page headlines Action News at 11 PM, but that’s a snapshot, not a schedule.
The pattern: the broadcast basics are solid; the variables are your address, your antenna, and which data feed an app happens to buy from.
What the sources actually say
“FOX LOCAL Philadelphia is a free 24/7 live stream of FOX 29 Philadelphia.”
“TV Guide’s Philadelphia, PA listings page covers tonight’s antenna, cable, or satellite TV schedule.”
— TV Guide national listings service
“TV Schedule: Philadelphia, PA lists channel-by-channel programming in rows and times in columns.”
— OnTVTonight independently compiled grid
What to watch: the sources that own the schedule — the stations — give you ground truth; the aggregators give you convenience. Read them in that order.
The last word
None of this requires a cable login, a printed magazine, or a third app you’ll forget you downloaded. The reliable version of a Philadelphia TV guide already exists in three places: the station pages that publish their own schedules, the national grids that repackage them, and the provider guide that knows your exact channel numbers. For the city’s cord-cutters and cable loyalists alike, the choice is clear: trust the station page when two grids disagree — or keep guessing what’s actually on channel 3 tonight.
nbcphiladelphia.com, fox29.com, tvtv.us, fox29.com, nbcphiladelphia.com
Frequently asked questions
Are Philadelphia TV listings updated daily?
Yes. Station-owned pages such as NBC10’s TV schedule page are updated by the station itself, and national grids regenerate each day from the same network feed data (NBC10 station-owned schedule page). For the most current local changes — storm coverage or pre-emptions — the station page is the earlier signal.
Why do TV listings differ between Comcast, Verizon Fios, and antenna viewers?
Channel numbers differ by provider, package, and local system, which is why national services key their pages to a ZIP code — TV Guide’s Philadelphia listing, for example, starts at 19102. The network shows themselves are the same feed; the differences are channel numbering, local news blocks, and pre-emptions.
Can I use a TV guide without a cable subscription in Philadelphia?
Yes. An antenna plus a station-owned schedule page covers the major broadcasters for free, and aggregators such as OnTVTonight list the same over-the-air channels in a grid format. No cable login is needed for any of the options covered here.
Do Philadelphia TV listings include streaming-only channels?
Traditional broadcast listings for Philadelphia cover antenna, cable, and satellite paths. Streaming-only channels are a separate category: FOX 29’s FOX LOCAL feed, for example, is a free 24/7 stream with its own schedule page.
How do I read a TV listings grid for Philadelphia?
Rows are channels, columns are times. OnTVTonight’s Philadelphia schedule uses exactly that layout, so you scan across a row to see what a channel airs at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, and so on (OnTVTonight independently compiled grid).
Are local broadcast channels the same across the Philadelphia region?
The main network affiliates broadcast across the entire market, so the channel numbers — KYW 3, WPVI 6, WCAU 10, WTXF 29, WHYY 12 — are stable. What changes is reception; TV Stations Near Me’s count of 36 stations and 144 digital channels is a city-wide total, not a per-household guarantee (TV Stations Near Me antenna directory).
The takeaway: most TV guide confusion in Philadelphia comes from mixing up the lineup and the schedule. The lineup depends on your provider; the schedule is the same network feed delivered by the same broadcast flagships.
Related reading
- TV Guide — Philadelphia, PA TV listings
- OnTVTonight — TV Schedule: Philadelphia, PA
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