A Meridian television station is one of nearly 1,000 stations nationwide that have or will be transitioning to new frequencies, the Federal Communications Commission said. 

“Viewers in the Meridian area who watch over-the-air television with an antenna will need to rescan their TV to continue receiving this local channel,” a news release stated.

WMAW-TV (PBS 14) in the Meridian area is scheduled to change frequency by Jan. 17. 

The change is to make room for new 5G and other mobile broadband services and cable and satellite subscribers will not be affected, according to the release. 

More information from the FCC: 

• Most viewers don’t need any new devices, equipment, or services to rescan their TV.

• To rescan, viewers will need their TV remote control or analog TV converter box, then choose “Channel Scan,” “Channel Tuning,” or “Auto Search” in the “Setup” or “Channel” menu (the precise labels change among manufacturers). Once you find either the “Channel Scan” or “Channel Tuning” buttons, choose the automatic option to rescan.

• By rescanning, viewers who watch TV using an antenna will keep their existing channels, and may even discover new channels in their broadcast area.

• TV stations are changing frequencies on a rolling basis, so consumers will likely need to rescan their television more than once.

• For further assistance, TV viewers can visit www.fcc.gov/TVrescan or call the consumer help line at 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322) and press “6” to speak with a dedicated help desk representative, seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (EST).