Yes and No. Antennas do not pick up the same type of signals as cable channels. Cable channels in the modern era use low-frequency optical signals for transmission while antennas use Very High Frequency (VHF) or more commonly Ultra High Frequency (UHF). Cables are not capable of picking up higher frequencies just like antennas cannot pick lower frequencies. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to get cable channels through the antenna. Most cable channels such as CBS, ABC, MSNBC, PBS, Comedy Central and FOX all have over the air signals that the antennas can pick up. The signals are not the same as the cables pick up or transmit but they do produce the same and sometimes better results. An uninterrupted signal means that the channels come through at a much higher quality than most cable service providers.