So are the channels like CBS , NBC ....etc
Doing a search on my area where I live in I get these local TV stations

Display options:    Current     Pending     Both
  Overlays off
Predicted Channel Availability (Current)
Analog	 	Digital
Callsign	Chan 	Network	Dist
(mi)	Path	NM
(dB)
 WFXQ-CD 	 	28 			21.7 	1Edge 	8.6
 WDMR-LP 	 	51 			21.7 	1Edge 	2.6
 WTXX-LP 	 	34 			17.9 	1Edge 	-8.5
 WHTX-LP 	 	43 			21.7 	1Edge 	-8.9
 WHCT-LP 	 	38 			41.9 	1Edge 	-16.7
 	
Callsign	Chan 	Network	Dist
(mi)	Path	NM
(dB)
 WGBY-DT 	 	22 	(57.1)	PBS	11.0 	1Edge 	32.1
 WGGB-TV 	 	40 	(40.1)	ABC	11.0 	1Edge 	28.3
 WWLP-DT 	 	11 	(22.1)	NBC	21.7 	1Edge 	27.3
 WFXQ-CD 	 	28 	(28.1)		10.3 	LOS 	16.9
 WFSB 	 	33 		CBS	43.4 	1Edge 	6.0
 WDMR-LP 	 	51 	(51.1)		21.6 	1Edge 	4.5
 WSHM-LD 	 	21 			17.9 	1Edge 	3.1
 WTIC-TV 	 	31 	(61.1)	Fox	48.5 	1Edge 	2.0
 WRGB 	 	6 	(6.1)	CBS	78.3 	2Edge 	-0.2
 WUNI 	 	29 	(27.1)	Uni	41.1 	2Edge 	-0.7
 WEDH-DT 	 	45 		PBS	48.5 	1Edge 	-1.1
 WTXX-LP 	 	34 	(34.1)		17.9 	1Edge 	-1.2
 WVBK-CA 	 	2 	(2.1)		42.2 	2Edge 	-2.5
 WUVN-DT 	 	46 	(18.1)	Uni	43.4 	1Edge 	-3.6
 WCCT-TV 	 	20 			48.5 	1Edge 	-4.2
 WVIT-DT 	 	35 	(30.1)	NBC	48.7 	1Edge 	-4.9
 WPXQ-DT 	 	17 	(69.1)	ION	71.0 	2Edge 	-9.3
 WCDC-DT 	 	36 	(19.1)	ABC	38.2 	2Edge 	-9.3
 WRDM-CA 	 	19 	(50.1)		41.9 	1Edge 	-10.5
 WRGB 	 	19 		CBS	41.2 	2Edge 	-15.7
 WTNH-DT 	 	10 	(8.1)	ABC	68.9 	1Edge 	-17.2
 WXXA-DT 	 	7 	(23.1)	Fox	78.3 	2Edge 	-17.5
 WTEN-DT 	 	26 	(10.1)	ABC	78.3 	2Edge 	-18.3
 WNYT 	 	12 	(13.1)	NBC	78.3 	2Edge 	-18.4
 W38DL-D 	 	38 			38.2 	2Edge 	-19.4
 WNYA-DT 	 	13 	(51.1)	MyN	77.8 	2Edge 	-20.0

Does that mean that each of these channels in the list have different broadcasting stations like a FM/AM radio station usually are. ( i.e each channel / frequency is another station / building around the area)
Or does one building have a different transmitter/antenna equipment for each different channel they support?
( thus making it one TV base station that can host multiple channels/frequencies i.e broadcast multiple channels at a single location ) ( as well in theory you could just multiplex all on one carrier from one base station but was kind of curious if it is more like AM/FM radio where the basically designate one station for each frequency and have a building designated to that one FM/AM station )

Also I see on the list alot of channels are missing like 52 , 5 and many others that I can get with cable not thru the air. So does cable company themselfs own / broadcast there own show/channels? For example Disney or ESPN I don't think are transmitted thru the air locally and even if they where who / what local station is responsible for doing that in the list?

My confusion is about what channels are obtainable from the air , which ones from the cable providers , and which ones from satellites providers. And why?
As well as who owns the shows/channels and equipment?
And why?

My understanding so far is
Cable companies just rebroadcast the free air stations just for a $10ish fee called basic cable. The local TV stations broadcast those channels for free and they are like AM/FM stations one for each stations basically unless they have the equipment to host more then one channel at same station via multiplexing duno fully about that. Then you have the owners of the shows which could be owned by the TV local stations or owned by a third party that wants air time.

If anybody knows how this works more in depths please post I am very interested

 

Did you miss the switch to digital broadcasting and the loss of channels 2-13 from the VHF spectrum?

BTW during the changeover the existing licensees got channel pairs of 6 MHz bandwidth allowing a 10 MHz signal across two channels. Then on a certain date (June 2009(?)) the VHF spectrum went dark and is up for grabs to the highest(?) bidder.

 

Yes, but this doesn't answer my question. when I refer to air I have a antenna with a digital to analog convert. Since they are broadcasting in digital over the air now. Looking at the FCC allocation chart it looks to me TV thru the air is either broadcast in the UHF or VHF spectrum is this true or are they broadcasting TV in other spectrums. (not including satellite obvious satellite means are in different spectrum )
I know in theory you could broadcast in other ranges but I was wondering what the current ranges and previous ranges are?

what about

Does that mean that each of these channels in the list have different broadcasting stations like a FM/AM radio station usually are. ( i.e each channel / frequency is another station / building around the area)
Or does one building have a different transmitter/antenna equipment for each different channel they support?
( thus making it one TV base station that can host multiple channels/frequencies i.e broadcast multiple channels at a single location ) ( as well in theory you could just multiplex all on one carrier from one base station but was kind of curious if it is more like AM/FM radio where the basically designate one station for each frequency and have a building designated to that one FM/AM station )

Also I see on the list alot of channels are missing like 52 , 5 and many others that I can get with cable not thru the air. So does cable company themselfs own / broadcast there own show/channels? For example Disney or ESPN I don't think are transmitted thru the air locally and even if they where who / what local station is responsible for doing that in the list?

My confusion is about what channels are obtainable from the air , which ones from the cable providers , and which ones from satellites providers. And why?
As well as who owns the shows/channels and equipment?
And why?

My understanding so far is
Cable companies just rebroadcast the free air stations just for a $10ish fee called basic cable. The local TV stations broadcast those channels for free and they are like AM/FM stations one for each stations basically unless they have the equipment to host more then one channel at same station via multiplexing duno fully about that. Then you have the owners of the shows which could be owned by the TV local stations or owned by a third party that wants air time.

 

Does that mean that each of these channels in the list have different broadcasting stations like a FM/AM radio station usually are.

Pretty much, yeah. Instead of FM and AM bands, digital TV uses UHF bands. It's a different range of frequencies--much higher frequencies than radio stations.

Or does one building have a different transmitter/antenna equipment for each different channel they support?

Big stations will often have a tower with multiple antennas mounted on it. In some cases multiple small broadcasters will rent a shared antenna from a third party. It all depends on the needs of the broadcaster, the terrain (flat or hilly?) etc. In Seattle there is one particular hill with multiple towers on it, owned by several TV stations. It's just the best place to put them based on the local geography.

The lower the frequency, the bigger the antenna. AM radio is relatively low frequency and sometimes the entire tower is the antenna. UHF is Ultra High Frequency and is broadcast by a much smaller antenna, often mounted on the side of a tower that serves as a structural support but is not itself an antenna element.

Also I see on the list alot of channels are missing like 52 , 5 and many others that I can get with cable not thru the air.

The channel numbers on the cable system may be totally unrelated to the over-the-air channel numbers. They can number the channels however they wish.

With the switch to digital, even the over-the-air channel numbers don't have the same meaning. Your local TV "channel 5" refers to the old VHF channel number which doesn't actually exist any more, but they might still call their newscast the "Channel 5 News". Comcast, in my area, uses channel 5 to rebroadcast the 720p local channel "5", and channel 105 for their 1080i broadcast.

So does cable company themselfs own / broadcast there own show/channels? For example Disney or ESPN I don't think are transmitted thru the air locally and even if they where who / what local station is responsible for doing that in the list?

Likely none of those stations on the list would broadcast Disney/ESPN, etc., as a general rule. BUT it gets complicated. For example, the ABC network is actually owned by Disney, so ABC-affiliated local stations will often broadcast Disney-related content. But a lot of the cable channels are pay-only and are not broadcast over the air by anyone. The cable company or the dish company receives them by satellite dish or fiberoptic cable, often encrypted, directly from the content provider and rebroadcasts it over cable or to their dish customers.

My confusion is about what channels are obtainable from the air , which ones from the cable providers , and which ones from satellites providers. And why?
As well as who owns the shows/channels and equipment?
And why?

Pick a channel or network and look it up on Wikipedia.

 

Thank you
you cleared up most of my questions.

So basically cable providers are just re-transmitting the air wave and satellite broadcasts. ( i.e catching the broadcast thru those 2 medium and re-broadcasting them to there customers on there chosen channels.)

In theory anybody with the satellite and antenna equipment /amplifiers could be come a TV service provider that supports the same stations as a comcast does. ( obviously not legally )
In theory!
That totally makes me look at things a little differently since comcast isn't really the initial broadcasters of any stations that would mean in theory other providers could have the same TV stations and the only real defining fact of you being able to get a channel or not. IS only if the TV provider that you are using re-transmits all the stations obtainable from satellite or air. Since if they do they would in theory support every possible station you could obtain thru any other TV provider at best.

I understand that some channels are encrypted but in theory if you had a satellite and antennas to capture every TV stations obtainable thru the air and decrypt it you would have all the channels for free.
Not say though the decryption is possible though.