This page is a list of the experimental television stations before 1946. After 1945 (in the United States) the television frequencies were opened up to commercialization and regular broadcasts began. Regular broadcast television start dates vary widely by country; in many regions, initial broadcast video deployment was delayed due to mobilisation for World War II.
(Note: The listing of current broadcast channels for these stations is not up-to-date as many low-VHF stations have moved to UHF frequencies as a result of digital television transition. This is less of an issue in the United Kingdom because of its all-UHF system, but most early US broadcasters were on affected channels before analogue shutdown. Very few full-service North American broadcasters remain on physical channels VHF 2-6 digitally due to impulse noise problems and strict limits on maximum transmitted power at these frequencies.)
Television stations, as of 1928 United States | |||||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Transmitter antenna height | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | Frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WGY | WRGB-TV | Schenectady, New York | General Electric | 380 m | 790 kHz | Channel 6 (VHF) | May 10, 1928 | Present | 48 | Unknown | Mechanical television | ATSC | |
WRNY | None | New York City | Experimenter Publishing | 326 m | 920 kHz | None | August 13, 1928 | 1929 | 48 | 7.5 | Mechanical television | None | |
2XAL | None | New York City | Experimenter Publishing | (with WRNY), 30.91 | 9.7 MHz | None | August 13, 1928 | 1929 | 48 | 7.5 | Mechanical television | None | |
3XK | None | Washington, D.C. | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | 46.7 m | 1.605 MHz | None | July 2, 1928 | 1932 (1934?) | 48 | Unknown | Mechanical television | None | |
WOR | WWOR-TV | Secaucus, New Jersey formerly New York City | Bamberger Broadcasting (from WOR) | 405 m | 740 kHz | Channel 9 (VHF) | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical television | ATSC | |
KDKA | KDKA-TV | Pittsburgh | Westinghouse Electric Company | 62.5 m | 4.798 MHz | Channel 2 VHF | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical television | ATSC | |
1XAY | None | Lexington, Massachusetts | WLEX | 51–62 m | 1.9 to 4.7 MHz | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical television | None | |
4XA | None | Memphis, Tennessee | WSM | 120–125 m | 2.1–2.5 MHz | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical television | None | |
9XAA (short-wave station of WCFL, officially W9XAA) | None | Chicago | WCFL/Chicago Federation of Labor | 61.25 m [1] | 4.8 MHz | Unknown | June 19, 1928 | 1937 [2] | 48 [1] | 15 [1] | Mechanical television | None | |
Television stations, as of December 1928 United States | |||||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Transmitter antenna height (m) | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system | |
WGY | WRGB-TV | Schenectady, New York | General Electric | 380 m | 379.5 MHz | Channel 6 (VHF) | 1928 | Still on air | 24 | 21 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | |
2XAF (Upgrade of WGY) | WRGB-TV | Schenectady, New York | General Electric | 380 m | 31.4 MHz | Channel 6 (VHF) | 1928 | Still on air | 24 | 21 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | |
2XAD (upgrade of W2XAF above) | WRGB-TV | Schenectady, New York | General Electric | Channel 6 (VHF) | 21.96 MHz | Channel 6 (VHF) | 1928 | Still on air | 24 | 21 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | |
WRNY | None | New York City | Experimenter Publishing | 326 m | 920 kHz | None | August 13, 1928 | 1929 | 48 | 7.5 | Mechanical television | None | |
2XAL | None | New York City | Experimenter Publishing | (with WRNY), 30.91 | 9.7 MHz | None | August 13, 1928 | 1929 | 48 | 7.5 | Mechanical television | None | |
3XK | None | Washington, D.C. | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | Unknown | 46.72 MHz | None | July 2, 1928 | 1932 (1934?) | 48 | 15 | Mechanical television | None | |
W9XAA WCFL | None | Chicago | Chicago Federation of Labor | 61.25 m [1] | 61.5 MHz | Unknown | June 19, 1928 | 1937 [2] | 45 [1] | 15 [1] | Mechanical television | None | |
WKBI-TV | None | Chicago | Unknown | ? | 215.7 MHz | ? | ? | ? | 48 | 15 | Mechanical television | None | |
WIBO-lost license May 15, 1933 AKA W9XAO [3] | None | Chicago | Western Television (Sanabria) [3] | ? | 305.9 MHz | ? | Summer 1929 [4] | 1933 | 45 [4] | 15 [4] | Mechanical television | None | |
KGFJ | None | Los Angeles | ? | ? | 212.6 MHz | ? | ? | ? | 48 | -- | Mechanical television | None | |
WLBX | None | Lexington, Massachusetts | ? | ? | 62.5 MHz | ? | ? | ? | 48 | -- | Mechanical television | None | |
Television stations, from 1928 to 1939 United States | |||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W9XZV | None | Chicago, IL | Zenith | 2.1-2.2 MHz, later Channel 2 | None | 1939, with a later Zenith experimental station in 1951 | 1953? | ? | ? | Electronic television | None |
W1WX (later became W1XAV) | None | Boston | SW and Television (Hollis Baird) | 2120 kHz | None | April 1929 (became W1XAV in December 1929) | 1931 | 48 (and later, 60 lines) | 15 | Mechanical Television | None |
W1XAV | None | Boston | SW and Television (Hollis Baird) | 2.1-2.2 MHz | None | 1930 | 1931 | 48 | 15 | Mechanical television | None |
W1XAV | None | Boston | Unknown | 2.1-2.2 MHz | SW and Television (Hollis Baird) | 1931 | 1934 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical television | None |
W1XAY | None | Lexington, Massachusetts | Boston Post , WLEX | 2.0-2.1 MHz | None | 1928 | 1930 | 48 | 18 | Mechanical Television | None |
W2XB/WGY/W2XAF/W2XAD | WRGB | Schenectady, NY | General Electric | 2.1-2.2 MHz | VHF 6 | 1928 | ? | 48 | 20 | Mechanical television | ATSC |
W2XCR | None | New York City | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | 2.75-2.85 MHz | None | 1929 | 1931 | 48 | 15 | Mechanical Television | None |
W2XCR | None | New York City | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | 2.75-2.85 MHz | None | 1931 | 1933 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical Television | None |
W2XBS | WNBC-TV | New York City | RCA | 2.0-2.1 MHz | Channel 4 (VHF) | 1928 | 1929 | 60? | 20? | Mechanical television | ATSC |
W2XBS | WNBC-TV | New York City | RCA | 2.75-2.85 MHz | Channel 4 (VHF) | 1928 | 1929 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical television | ATSC |
W2XAB | WCBS-TV | New York City | CBS | 2.1-2.2 MHz | Channel 2 | 1931 | 1933 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical television | ATSC |
WRNY | None | New York City | Unknown | 1010 kHz | None | 1928 | 1929 | 36 | ? | Mechanical Television | None |
WRNY | None | New York City | Unknown | 1010 kHz | None | 1928 | ? | 48 | 10 | Mechanical television | None |
W2XR | None | Long Island City, New York | Hogan's Radio Pictures | 2.85-2.95 MHz | None | March 26, 1929 | 1934 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical television | None |
W3XK | None | Wheaton, Maryland (later moved to Silver Spring, Maryland) | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | 6420 kHz (6.42 MHz) | None | 1928 | 1931 | 48 | 15 | Mechanical television | None |
W3XK | None | Washington, D.C. | Charles Jenkins Laboratories | 2.0-2.1 MHz | None | 1931 | 1934 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical Television | None |
W9XX, later became W5XA | None | Shreveport, Louisiana | Rev. Lannie W. Stewart | 1604 kHz | None | 1929 | 1934 | 45 | 15 | Mechanical Television | None |
W5XA | None | Shreveport, Louisiana | Paul L. Carriger | 1594 kHz (video on the 160-meter amateur band) | None | 1932 | 1934 | 45 | 15 | Mechanical television | None |
W6XAH | None | Bakersfield, California | Pioneer Mercantile Company | 2000–2100 kHz, also simulcast on 1550 kHz in 1932 | None | January 6, 1932 | 1935 | 96 | 20 | Mechanical television | None |
W9XR [5] | None [6] | Downers Grove, Illinois (Chicago) [5] | Great Lakes Broadcasting/ National Broadcasting Company after 1931. [5] [6] | 2.85-2.95 mHz [5] | None | 1929 [5] | 1933 [6] | 24 [5] | 15 [5] | Mechanical television [5] | None [5] |
Television stations, from 1928 to 1939 United States and Canada | |||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system |
KGFJ | None | Los Angeles | Unknown | ? | ? | 1928 | ? | 48 | ? | Mechanical television | None |
W3XAD | None | Camden, New Jersey | RCA | 124 MHz to 130 MHz | Channel 5 | July 1930 | Became W3XEP | 525 | 30 | Unknown | None |
W6XS | None | Los Angeles | Don Lee Broadcasting | 2.1-2.2 MHz | ? | 1931 | 1935 | 80 | 20 | Mechanical Television | None |
W6XAO | KCBS-TV | Los Angeles | Don Lee Broadcasting | 44.5 MHz (44-50 MHz, Channel 1) | Channel 2 | December 23, 1931 | 1936 | 80 | 20 | Mechanical Television | ATSC |
W7XAO | None | Portland, Oregon | Wilbur Jerman | 2.75-2.85 MHz | ? | 1929 | ? | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical Television | None |
W9XAA, WCFL | None | Chicago | Chicago Federation of Labor | 2.0-2.1 MHz | None | June 19, 1928 | 1937 [2] | 45 [1] | 15 [1] | Mechanical Television | None |
WIBO-lost license May 15, 1933 AKA W9XAO [3] | None | Chicago, IL | Western Television (Sanabria) [3] | ? | ? | Summer 1929 [4] | 1933 | 45 [4] | 15 [4] | Mechanical Television | None |
W9XAK | ? | Manhattan, Kansas | Kansas State College | 2.1-2.2 MHz | ? | 1932 | 1939 | 60 | 20 | Mechanical Television | None? |
W9XAL | Unknown | Kansas City, Missouri | First National Television | 2.1-2.2 MHz | ? | 1933 | 1935 | 45 | 15 | Mechanical Television | None? |
W9XAO [3] | None | Chicago, IL | Western Television (Sanabria) [3] | 2.0-2.1 MHz | ? | Summer 1929 [4] | 1933 | 45 [4] | 15 [4] | Mechanical Television | None? |
W9XAP | WMAQ-TV [3] | Chicago, IL | Chicago Daily News/National Broadcasting Company(after 1 November 1931 [7] ) | 2.1-2.2 MHz | Channel 5 | August 27, 1930 [3] | August 1933 [3] | 45 | 15 | Mechanical Television | ATSC |
W9XAT | Unknown | Minneapolis, MN | George Young, radio station WDGY | 42-50 MHz, 60-86 MHz (Channel 1) | ? | 1933 | 1938 | 125 | ? | Mechanical Television | None? |
W9XD | WTMJ-TV | Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee Journal | ? | ? | 1931 (transmitter used for Apex radio station W9XAZ in 1934) | Experiments ended 1933; License deleted in 1938 | 45 | 15 | Mechanical Television- Western | |
W9XG | ? | Lafayette, IN | Purdue University | 2.75-2.85 MHz | ? | 1931 | 1939 | 60 | 24 | Mechanical Television | ? |
W9XK/W9SUI "WSUI", W9XAZ | ? | Iowa City, IA | State University of Iowa | 2.0-2.1 MHz | ? | 1933 | 1939 | 45 | 15 | Mechanical Television | ? |
W9XUI | ? | Iowa City, IA | State University of Iowa | 2.0-2.1 MHz, later Channel 1, then Channel 2 | ? | 1933 | 1941 | 441 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ? |
W2XJT | None | Jamaica, New York | Jamaica Radio Television Company | Channel 3, then Channel 13 | None | 1940, moved to Ch. 13 in 1945 | Unknown | ? | ? | Mechanical Television | None |
VE9EC (also given as VE9AK [8] ) | None; TV returned in 1952 with CBFT | Montreal, Quebec | Peck Television Corp. (Canadian Television Ltd.) | 41 MHz | None | 1931 | 1935 | 60-150 | Unknown | Mechanical television | VE9AK's calls were reassigned to CFRB-FM in 1938 [9] |
Television stations, from 1928 to 1939 Europe | |||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system |
Baird Television Ltd. via BBC transmitter 2LO | Unknown | London, England | Baird Television Ltd. | Unknown | ? | September 30, 1929 | June 1932 | 30 | 25 | Mechanical television | PAL/DVB-T? |
Unknown (Possibly 2LO, as above?) | BBC One | London, England | Baird Television Ltd. | ? | ? | August 22, 1932 | September 11, 1935 | 30 | 25 | Mechanical television | PAL |
Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow | Unknown | Berlin, Germany | Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft | ? | ? | 1935 (tests started in 1929) | 1944 | 180/441 beginning in 1937 | 25 | Electronic television | PAL? |
Doświadczalna Stacja Telewizyjna | TVP 1 | Warsaw, Poland | Polskie Radio Sp. Akc. | ? | September 1937 (according to other sources regular broadcasts started in 1938) | last week of August 1939 | 120 | 25 | Mechanical television |
Television stations, as of 1941 United States | |||||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W1XG | None | Boston | General Television | ? | Channel 1 | Unknown Channel | ? | ? | Unknown | Mechanical television | None | ||
W2XVT (Becomes W2XWV in 1944) | WNYW | Passaic, New Jersey | DuMont | Channel 4 | Channel 5 | 1938 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W2XBS | WNBC-TV | New York City | RCA, NBC | Channel 1 | Channel 4 | 1932 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W2XAB | WCBS-TV | New York City | CBS | Channel 2 | Channel 2 | 1931 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W2XWV | WNYW-TV | New York City | DuMont | Channel 4 | Channel 5 | 1938 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W2XB | WRGB | Schenectady, NY | General Electric | Channel 3 | Channel 6 | 1939 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W3XWT | WTTG | Washington, D.C. | DuMont | Channel 1 | Channel 5 | 1941 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W3XNB | WRC-TV | Washington, D.C. | NBC | Channel 2 | Channel 4 | 1939 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W3XE | KYW-TV | Philadelphia | Philco | Channel 3 | Channel 3 | 1932 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W3XEP | None | Camden, NJ | RCA | 42 MHz-56 MHz and 50-86 MHz | None | 1931 | 1941? | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | ||
W3XPF (Portable unit: W10XX) | None? | Philadelphia | Farnsworth | Channel 3 | Unknown | 1937 | Unknown | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | Unknown | ||
W3XPP | Cancelled Permit, Now WCAU | Philadelphia | NBC | Channel 7 | Channel 10 | 1939 | Unknown | None | None | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W6XAO | KCBS-TV | Los Angeles | Don Lee Broadcasting | Channel 1 | Channel 2 | 1936 | Still on air | 441, changed to 525 in late 1941 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W6XYZ | KTLA | Los Angeles | Television Productions | Channel 4 | Channel 5 | 1942 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W6XDL | None | San Francisco, CA | Don Lee Broadcasting | Channel 1 | None | 1941 | Off-Air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | None | ||
W8XCT | WLWT-TV | Cincinnati, OH | Crosley Broadcasting | Channel 1 | Channel 5 | 1939 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W9XV/W9XZV | Became KS2XBS | Chicago, IL | Zenith | Channel 1, then CH 2 | None | 1939–1941, 1951-1953 as KS2XBS | Off-Air | 441, later 525 | 30 | Electronic television | None | ||
W9XBK | WBBM-TV | Chicago, IL | Balaban and Katz | Channel 2 | Channel 2 | 1940 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | ATSC | ||
W9XMJ | Milwaukee, WI | The Journal Co. | Channel 3 | 1940 | 525 | 30 | |||||||
WMJT | Milwaukee, WI | The Journal Co. | Channel 3 | 1941 | CP returned in 1946 | 525 | 30 |
Television stations, from Jan. 3, 1945 to 1955 United States | |||||||||||||
Television call-sign (original) | Television call-sign (current) | City or location | Owner | Television frequency | Television channel (current) | On air | Off air | Disk holes or lines | frame rate (frame/s) | Original broadcast system | Current broadcast system | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W6XAO | KTSL (Now KCBS-TV) | Hollywood, California/Los Angeles, California | Don Lee Broadcasting | Channel 1 | 2.1 (UHF 43) | 1931 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W6XHH | None | Los Angeles | Hughes Tool Company | 2 | None | None | None | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | ||
W6XZY | KTLA-TV | Los Angeles | Television Productions, Inc. | 4 | 5.1 (UHF 31) | 1942 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
KSEE | None | Los Angeles | Earl Anthony, Inc. | 6 | None | Unknown | off-air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | ||
W6XHT | None | San Francisco, CA | Hughes Tool Company | 2 | None | Unknown | off-air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | ||
W3XWT | WTTG | Washington, D.C. | DuMont Labs, Inc. | Channel 1 | 5.1 (UHF 36) | 1941 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
WNBW | WRC-TV | Washington, D.C. | NBC | 2 | 4.1 (UHF 48) | 1941 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W9ZV/W9XZV | None | Chicago, IL | Zenith Radio Corp. | Channel 1, then Channel 2 | None | 1939–1941, 1951-1953 as KS2XBS | Off-Air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | None | ||
W9XAP | WNBQ-TV 1948-1964 [10] | Chicago, IL | National Broadcasting Company [7] | Channel 5 | 5.1 (UHF 29) | August 27, 1930 [3] | On-Air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical Television | Now ATSC | ||
W9XBK | Became W9XCB, then WBKB, now WBBM-TV | Chicago, IL | Balaban and Katz Corp. | Channel 2 | 2.1 (VHF 12) | 1940 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W9XCB | WBBM-TV | Chicago, IL | CBS | Channel 4 | 2.1 (VHF 12) | 1940 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W9XG | West Lafayette, IN | Purdue University | 3 | None | 1930 | 1946? | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | |||
W9SUI | Iowa City, IA | University of Iowa | Channel 1, later Channel 12 [11] | None | 1931 | 1941? | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | |||
W1XG | Boston | General Television Corp. | Channel 1 | None | 1931 | 1941? | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | |||
W3XEP | None | Camden, New Jersey | RCA | 5, 10, 12 | None | July, 1931 (as portable W3XAD) | 1941? | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | None | ||
W2XVT | WNYW | Passaic, New Jersey | DuMont Laboratories | Channel 4 | 5.1 (UHF 44) | 1938 | Became W2XWV in 1944 | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W2XWV | WNYW | Passaic, New Jersey | DuMont Laboratories | Channel 4 | 5.1 (UHF 44) | 1944 | Became WABD-TV in 1944 | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W2XJT | None | Jamaica, New York | Jamaica Radio & TV Corp. | Channel 3, then Channel 13 | None | 1940, moved to Ch. 13 in 1945 | 1947? | Unknown | Unknown | Mechanical television | None | ||
WNBT | WNBC-TV | New York City | NBC | Channel 1 | 4.1 (UHF 28) | 1928 (as W2XBS) | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
WCBW | WCBS | New York City | CBS | Channel 2 | 2.1 (UHF 33) | 1938 (as W2XAB) | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
WABD | WNYW-TV | New York City | DuMont Labs, Inc. | Channel 4 | 5.1 (UHF 44) | 1938 (as W2XVT, then W2XWV) | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | ||
W2XXB | New York City | Bamberger Broadcasting Svc. | 6 | Experimental | |||||||||
W2XMT | New York City | Metropolitan Television Inc. | 8 | Experimental | |||||||||
WRGB | WRGB-TV | Schenectady, NY | General Electric | 3 | 6.1 (VHF 6) | Still on-air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC | |||
W8XCT | Cincinnati, OH | Crosley Corporation | 1 | Experimental | |||||||||
W3XE (later WPTZ) | KYW-TV | Philadelphia | Philco Radio & TV | 3 | 3.1 (UHF 26) | Sept 1, 1941 | On-air | 525 | 30 | Mechanical television | Now ATSC, Westinghouse CBS O&O | ||
W3XAU | Philadelphia | WCAU Broadcasting Co. | 5 | Experimental | WCAU now operates an ATSC commercial station | ||||||||
W8XGZ | Charleston, WV | Gus Zaharis | 1 | Experimental | |||||||||
KS2XBS (First pay-TV service, "PhoneVision") | None | Chicago, IL | Zenith | 2.1-2.2 MHz, later Channel 2 | None | 1951 | 1953? | 525 | 30 | Electronic television | None | ||
KC2XAK | None, now part of WNBC-TV | Bridgeport, Connecticut | RCA/NBC | UHF 24 | None | December 29, 1949 | August 23, 1952 | 525 | 30 | NTSC-M | None. Parent station is now ATSC | ||
KPTV | KPTV | Portland, Oregon | Empire Coil Company | Channel 27 | 12.1 (VHF 12) | September 20, 1952 | Still on air | 525 | 30 | Used KC2XAK's NTSC-M UHF transmitter, otherwise not experimental. | Now ATSC VHF | ||
KE2XDR | New York City | DuMont Labs | 1950 | 1951 | Mechanical television | None | |||||||
KPHO | KPHO | Phoenix, Arizona | Gray Television | 5 | 5 | 1949 | 525 | 30 |
Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted high frequency (HF), and the next higher frequencies are known as ultra high frequency (UHF).
Terrestrial television, or over-the-air television (OTA) is a type of television broadcasting in which the content is transmitted via radio waves from the terrestrial (Earth-based) transmitter of a TV station to a TV receiver having an antenna. The term terrestrial is more common in Europe and Latin America, while in Canada and the United States it is called over-the-air or simply broadcast. This type of TV broadcast is distinguished from newer technologies, such as satellite television, in which the signal is transmitted to the receiver from an overhead satellite; cable television, in which the signal is carried to the receiver through a cable; and Internet Protocol television, in which the signal is received over an Internet stream or on a network utilizing the Internet Protocol. Terrestrial television stations broadcast on television channels with frequencies between about 52 and 600 MHz in the VHF and UHF bands. Since radio waves in these bands travel by line of sight, reception is generally limited by the visual horizon to distances of 64–97 kilometres, although under better conditions and with tropospheric ducting, signals can sometimes be received hundreds of kilometers distant.
TV DX and FM DX is the active search for distant radio or television stations received during unusual atmospheric conditions. The term DX is an old telegraphic term meaning "long distance."
Iowa PBS, formerly Iowa Public Television (IPTV), is a network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is operated by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department which holds the licenses for all the PBS member stations in the state. Iowa PBS' headquarters are located at 6450 Corporate Drive in Johnston, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines.
The All-Channel Receiver Act of 1962 (ACRA), commonly known as the All-Channels Act, was passed by the United States Congress in 1961, to allow the Federal Communications Commission to require that all television set manufacturers must include UHF tuners, so that new UHF-band TV stations could be received by the public. This was a problem at the time since most affiliated stations of the Big Three television networks were well-established on VHF, while many local-only stations on UHF were struggling for survival.
WLS-TV is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, serving as the market's ABC network outlet. It has been owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division since the station's inception. WLS-TV's studios are located on North State Street in the Chicago Loop, and its transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower.
The following tables show the frequencies assigned to analog broadcast television channels in various regions of the world, along with the ITU letter designator for the system used. The frequencies shown are for the analog video and audio carriers. The channel itself occupies several megahertz of bandwidth. For example, North American channel 1 occupies the spectrum from 44 to 50 MHz. See Broadcast television systems for a table of signal characteristics, including bandwidth, by ITU letter designator. Analog television broadcasts have been phased out in most regions, having been replaced by digital television broadcasts.
In North American broadcast television frequencies, channel 1 was a former broadcast (over-the-air) television channel which was removed from service in 1948.
WMVP is a commercial radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, carrying a sports radio format. Owned by Good Karma Brands, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area as the market affiliate of ESPN Radio, the flagship station of the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox, and the Chicago Wolves and is the home of local personalities David Kaplan, Tom Waddle and John Jurkovic. Formerly an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station, WMVP's studios are co-located with WLS-TV in the Chicago Loop while the transmitter is located in Downers Grove. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMVP is simulcast over the second HD subchannel of WTBC-FM and is available online.
The Llanddona transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated at Llanddona, near Beaumaris, on the isle of Anglesey, Wales. It comprises a 106.7 metres (350 ft) guyed mast with antennas attached at various heights. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.
The Wenvoe transmitting station, officially known as Arqiva Wenvoe, is the main facility for broadcasting and telecommunications for South Wales and the West Country. It is situated close to the village of Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, in the UK.
WSCR – branded 670 The Score – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WSCR is a clear-channel station with extended nighttime range in most of the Central United States and part of the Eastern United States. WSCR is the Chicago affiliate for the BetQL Network, Infinity Sports Network, the Fighting Illini Sports Network and the NFL on Westwood One Sports; the flagship station for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bulls radio networks; and the home of radio personalities David Haugh and Matt Spiegel.
The 405-line monochrome analogue television broadcasting system was the first fully electronic television system to be used in regular broadcasting. The number of television lines influences the image resolution, or quality of the picture.
This is a list of pre-World War II television stations of the 1920s and 1930s. Most of these experimental stations were located in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Some present-day broadcasters trace their origins to these early stations.
W3XK is widely regarded as the oldest television station in the United States. It was operated by Charles Jenkins of Charles Jenkins Laboratories from July 2, 1928 to 1934. It is believed to be the first station to broadcast to the general public. The station's frequency started out at 1605 kc., but moved to 6420 kc., and eventually moved to the 2.-2.1 Mc. band. It broadcast from Wheaton, Maryland, at a resolution of just 48 lines. The way to view television at the time was by mechanical television sets, and this station operated in that way.
A number of experimental and broadcast pre World War II television systems were tested. The first ones were mechanical based and of very low resolution, sometimes with no sound. Later TV systems were electronic.
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Ulises Armand Sanabria was born in southern Chicago of Puerto Rican and French-American parents. Sanabria is known for development of mechanical televisions and early terrestrial television broadcasts.
UHF television broadcasting is the use of ultra high frequency (UHF) radio for over-the-air transmission of television signals. UHF frequencies are used for both analog and digital television broadcasts. UHF channels are typically given higher channel numbers, like the US arrangement with VHF channels (initially) 1 to 13, and UHF channels (initially) numbered 14 to 83. Compared with an equivalent VHF television transmitter, to cover the same geographic area with a UHF transmitter requires a higher effective radiated power, implying a more powerful transmitter or a more complex antenna. However, the additional channels allow more broadcasters in a given region without causing objectionable mutual interference.
The Pan-American television frequencies are different for terrestrial and cable television systems. Terrestrial television channels are divided into two bands: the VHF band which comprises channels 2 through 13 and occupies frequencies between 54 and 216 MHz, and the UHF band, which comprises channels 14 through 36 and occupies frequencies between 470 and 608 MHz. These bands are different enough in frequency that they often require separate antennas to receive, and separate tuning controls on the television set. The VHF band is further divided into two frequency ranges: VHF low band between 54 and 88 MHz, containing channels 2 through 6, and VHF high band between 174 and 216 MHz, containing channels 7 through 13. The wide spacing between these frequency bands is responsible for the complicated design of rooftop TV antennas. The UHF band has higher noise and greater attenuation, so higher gain antennas are often required for UHF.