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Back in the days of VHF and UHF TV, you could cover the area with a single TV station, but the networks would put two TV stations in the region.

That is NOT true. For one thing, if you are in New Haven, CT and your antenna is pointed to New York to get Mets games on WOR-TV Channel 9 or Yankees games on WPIX Channel 11, you will certainly not be able to get Channel 30 (NBC) WHNB/WVIT New Britain (most used their low wattage repeater Channel 59 in West Haven). Even a VHF station like Channel 3 (WTIC/WFSB) in Hartford, would get snow, even with a rotor depending on elevation.

Massachusetts is one of the three southern New England states, and you wouldn't have a dream of getting WSBK TV 38 for Red Sox/Bruins games without cable, even in central Connecticut. In my home town of Wallingford, you had to do gymnastics to get Channel 22 (NBC)/Channel 40 (ABC) (Springfield, MA). I wanted to watch Burns and Allen, and they were broadcast regularly on Channel 57 (PBS) in Springfield. Higher frequencies means less distance, and even though he custom built me a Channel 57 YAGI antenna, I still could not get it in. Channels 6, 10, and 12 in Providence, RI were also impossible.

That said, even though they were all on UHF, the several PBS stations were pretty clear (Channel 24, Hartford; Channel 49, Bridgeport; there was a repeater at channel 71, in New Haven)

Keep in mind not everyone had a high gain roof antenna, and some people lived on the bottom of a hill, which can impede reception. Few had rotors, which was useful in Connecticut because of stations in all directions.

Let me put it this simply: The major networks actually DID get by with two stations in the area. Two were necessitated instead of one because if you’re in New London, pointed to get Providence, you might have trouble getting New Haven. Then again, if you’re in New London pointed towards New Haven, you’d probably get New York just fine. Easthampton, NY is further than New London from New York and they get all their TV from New York.