It’s weird here.
At our old apartment in Laurel (Howard County side) I could get all but one Baltimore and all but two Washington stations with a simple set of rabbit ears.
At the townhouse in Columbia, only 5 miles away, I get maybe 2 B-more and 1 DC station on the same set of rabbit ears.
When I first moved to Columbia, I talked with a Verizon technician about the strange dead spot around my apt. complex. He said that there are small dead spots scattered all over Columbia, and larger areas where reception of all sorts is weak. He didn’t know why.
My (possibly tin foil hat theory) opinion is that it has something to do with the FCC radio towers in the Guilford area.