Disclosed is a channel equalizing apparatus and method for a digital television receiver that performs channel equalization using equalizing algorithms. The channel equalizing apparatus includes a channel equalizing section for compensating for channel distortion using a blind algorithm and a decision directed algorithm among equalizing algorithms, and a equalizing control section for calculating error values for compensating for the channel distortion from the blind algorithm and the decision directed algorithm and controlling the channel equalizing section to compensate for the channel distortion according to the calculated error values.