ing ▁television ▁content ; ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁several ▁virtual ▁M VP D ▁services ▁offering ▁" sk in ny " ▁t iers ▁of ▁channels ▁originally ▁developed ▁for ▁cable ▁and ▁satellite ▁distribution ▁at ▁a ▁reduced ▁base ▁price ▁compared ▁to ▁prov iders ▁util izing ▁the ▁more ▁established ▁pay ▁television ▁distribution ▁methods . ▁ ▁Ind ividual ▁broadcast ▁television ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁transmit ▁on ▁either ▁V H F ▁channels ▁ 2 ▁through ▁ 1 3 ▁or ▁U H F ▁channels ▁ 1 4 ▁through ▁ 5 1 . ▁During ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁analog ▁television , ▁broadcast ▁stations ▁transm itted ▁on ▁a ▁single ▁universal ▁channel ; ▁however ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁technical ▁complex ities ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁digital ▁television ▁standard , ▁most ▁stations ▁now ▁transmit ▁phys ically ▁on ▁an ▁R F ▁channel ▁( or ▁" min or ▁channel ") ▁that ▁is ▁mapped ▁to ▁a ▁virtual ▁channel ▁( or ▁" major ▁channel "), ▁which ▁– ▁with ▁some ▁exceptions ▁– ▁typically ▁diff ers ▁from ▁their ▁physical ▁allocation ▁and ▁corresponds ▁to ▁the ▁station ' s ▁former ▁analog ▁channel . ▁The ▁U H F ▁band ▁originally ▁sp anned ▁from ▁channels ▁ 1 4 ▁to ▁ 8 3 , ▁though ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁( F CC ) ▁has ▁twice ▁res c ind ed ▁the ▁high - end ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁from ▁television ▁broadcast ing ▁use ▁for ▁emer gency ▁and ▁other ▁tele communic ations ▁purposes ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁( when ▁channels ▁ 7 0 ▁to ▁ 8