A novel programmable digital gain controller is provided for the automatic gain control loop of a communications receiver. The digital gain controller comprises a pair of digital detectors coupled to the real and imaginary components of a data stream for providing digital data magnitude output signals which are coupled to an adder whose output is coupled to a first input of a comparator having a second input coupled to a predetermined reference level command. The output of the comparator generates a digital error signal which is coupled to the input of a programmable gain accumulator having a second input proportional gain command so as to provide at the output of the programmable gain accumulator a digital gain command which may be coupled to a variable gain controlled amplifier which is connected in the input data stream of the channel of a communications receiver to provide a predetermine amplifier output level.